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UN Secretary General writes condolence letter for ‘butcher of Tehran’

António Guterres visited the Iranian mission to pay his respect to Iran’s deceased president

May 28, 2024 10:45
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Iran's state television channel broadcast footage of António Guterres paying tribute to Ebrahim Raisi (Photo: Irna)
2 min read

Iranian opposition activists have condemned the UN Secretary-General for “legitimising” the Islamic regime after he paid tribute to President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month.

In footage posted by Iranian state television, António Guterres can be seen sitting behind a bouquet of lilies, two candles and a photo of Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who also died in the accident.

The deceased president – nicknamed the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ –repressed anti-regime protests while in office, decades after he ordered the execution of thousands of activists while serving as a judge.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna), Guterres was welcomed to Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York on May 25 by Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani.