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The U.S. State Department offered condolences on Monday following the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other top officials in a helicopter crash. This drew criticism due to Iran’s President’s notorious human rights abuses.

Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian died on Sunday when their helicopter crashed in the Dizmar Forest in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. The officials were returning to Tehran after a trip to the border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported that the crash resulted in the deaths of eight people, including three crew members aboard the Bell helicopter, which had been purchased by Iran in the early 2000s.

The Iranian President's international crimes and assaults on his own citizens (especially women) earned him the nickname of "The Butcher of Tehran."

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State Department Statement

In an official statement, the State Department expressed its sympathies for the deaths of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation.

 "As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms," said spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Ebrahim Raisi, infamously known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” was involved in the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988. His death necessitated the appointment of interim leadership by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Filitti criticized the State Department's response. "While it is understandable for the State Department to issue condolences when there is the death of a foreign head of state, it's baffling that someone with such an atrocious record of violating human rights, supporting global terrorism, and targeting the United States and its allies is receiving condolences from the U.S. government," he added.

Mounting Criticism of State

"Raisi has been responsible for the incarceration, torture, rape, and murder of tens of thousands of people over the last few decades," said Gerard Filitti, senior counsel with the Lawfare Project, which provides pro bono legal services to protect civil and human rights globally. "Raisi is not a man who will be missed."

Iran has a longstanding reputation for severe human rights abuses, including the persecution of individuals for dancing, social media activities, and women violating the country’s strict dress code.

 "There’s no secret that Iran violates human rights. It’s a matter of its practice to rule according to its interpretation of religious law, and that leaves little room for what we understand as civil rights or human rights in the western democratic context," Filitti explained.

He also highlighted the Biden administration’s approach to Tehran, suggesting it has focused on appeasement in nuclear deal negotiations and the release of funds that Iran has allegedly used for terrorism and domestic oppression. 

"It's really troubling that now we're seeing, effectively, a continuation of that. Both in offering condolences for the loss of Raisi and most likely, continuing to work with the next regime on the same failed strategy of appeasement," Filitti stated.

State Explains Moment of Silence

Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis also expressed disapproval of the condolences, citing Iran’s military support to Russia. 

"I don't feel comfortable sending condolences while Iran is sending drones that are used against civilians in Ukraine," he stated on social media.

The United Nations Security Council also honored Raisi on Monday with a moment of silence, following a request from Russia, China, and Algeria, according to Iran’s Permanent Mission to the U.N.

During a press briefing, Matthew Miller was questioned about the U.S.'s participation in the moment of silence. 

"We have been quite clear that Ebrahim Raisi was a brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people for nearly four decades. He was involved in numerous horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. That said, we regret any loss of life. We don't want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash. But that doesn't change the reality of his record, both as a judge and as the president of Iran," Miller explained.

The Iranian government expressed gratitude for the UNSC's condolences. U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black also acknowledged Raisi's death during his invocation, praying for the Iranian people who mourn the loss of their president.