Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, announced a five-day public mourning period after the deaths of Raisi, the foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other passengers on the helicopter. However, Iranians who spoke to the Guardian refused to lament the death of a man who they said was responsible for hundreds of deaths in his political career.
Hours before Raisi's death was confirmed by state media, videos circulated on Telegram showing celebratory fireworks. Iranians shared posts reminding the world of Raisi's brutal presidency and his repression of political dissidents.
Speaking of the president's death, a family member of a teenager killed by security forces during the Mahsa Amini protests said: "Raisi's soul will never rest in peace because he killed my brother and the children of my homeland. He was a murderer who ordered the killing of so many children.
This story is from the May 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the May 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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