A letter from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi to Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly, and António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.
Your Excellencies
According to a notice published by the United Nations, the organization will hold a ceremony in memory of the former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. This comes despite the recent findings of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which classified the violence perpetrated by the Islamic Republic as "crimes against humanity." Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has for years reported extensively on the widespread human rights violations in Iran.
When I see that the United Nations is holding a memorial for a "criminal against humanity," I can't help but wonder how an organization, established in the aftermath of World War II and the slaughter of millions by a "madman" who sought to set the entire world on fire, can so easily disregard its own principles and show such a lack of commitment to its core values.
The potential claim by the United Nations that this ceremony is being held according to protocol is also incorrect. One of these protocols involves holding a memorial for the highest-ranking official of each country. Ebrahim Raisi is not the highest political authority in Iran. Ali Khamenei is the supreme political and military leader of the Islamic Republic. Whenever he dies, the United Nations can proceed with organizing a quadruple memorial along with Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, and Hitler for him.
The record of the Islamic Republic is far too dark and disgraceful to justify holding a memorial or tribute for its officials in any place that values justice, fairness, and conscience. I urge the esteemed Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly to recognize Ebrahim Raisi as the Iranian people have after his death – as the "Executioner of Iran" and the "Butcher of Tehran." Do not ridicule the subordinate bodies and committees, including the Fact-Finding Mission.
Dr. Shirin Ebadi
2003 Nobel Peace laureate