In an unexpected turn of events, a cross-section of Iranians and social media users have celebrated the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister have been declared dead after a helicopter crash in hilly terrain and freezing weather, an Iranian official said on Monday after search teams discovered the wreckage.
Iranian state media said images from the site showed the helicopter crashed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word yet on the cause of the crash.
Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021 and has since tightened morals rules, oversaw a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, and pushed hard in nuclear talks with foreign powers.
Reacting to his demise, Abhijit Iyer-Migra, a social media influencer, mentioned in a statement on X “When I first landed in Tehran in 1985, my first visual of the city was of three people hanging from a crane in a roundabout. It wasn’t the humane neck-break hanging, but the slow strangulation lift hanging. The man responsible is Ebrahim Raisi. Today his body was found charred beyond recognition.”
Raisi is alleged to have overseen thousands of executions during his reign as president of the Islamic country.
According to Reuters, “Ebrahim Raisi, who died aged 63, rose through Iran’s theocracy from hardline prosecutor to uncompromising president, overseeing a crackdown on protests at home and pushing hard in nuclear talks with world powers as he burnished his credentials to position himself to become the next supreme leader.”
“Raisi’s hardline position was also evident in domestic politics. A year after his election, the mid-ranking cleric ordered tighter enforcement of Iran’s “hijab and chastity law,” restricting women’s dress and behavior.
“Within weeks, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody after being arrested by morality police for allegedly violating that law,” Reuters added.
“The resulting months of nationwide protests presented one of the gravest challenges to Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“Hundreds of people were killed, according to rights groups, including dozens of security personnel who were part of a fierce crackdown on the demonstrators. “Acts of chaos are unacceptable,” the president insisted.
Raisi is alleged to have “executed 5,000 political prisoners, oversew torture, rape, and abductions, oppressed Iranian people, and was a known Holocaust denier,” according to Aleksander Plepi.
Mahesh Banur notes that the executions “were every Friday morning affair in any province. Trees, cranes, and no face-covering hood; scared the first time, then got used to it! People used to throw coins at hanging bodies. A forgotten world is reminded of you today.”
Reacting to his death, Dr. Fred Hoffman wrote on X, “I hope Ebrahim Raisi did not die quickly or painlessly.”
Other reactions include: Rest in Piss. Raisi was a terrible human, and his death is wonderful news.”
Jennifer Steinberg, “I was praying that he was slowly eaten by wild animals. so disappointed right now.”
Madeleine Richardson, “Yes, isn’t retribution wonderful? I hope the families of those he destroyed are enjoying their moment of revenge.”
Dani Blekman, “Crashing in the wilderness during heavy fog and rain, right before a snow storm in mid-May, in a place called “the wolf village,” sure looks like the planet itself wanted to get rid of this guy.”
