A The United Nations (UN) paid, this Thursday, an “official tribute” to the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, who died following a helicopter crash, on May 19th.

According to the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), a minute of silence was observed in the General Assembly and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, reiterated his condolences to the families of the president and the other victims of the accident, including Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six other passengers.

“The United Nations supports the Iranian people in their pursuit of peace, development and fundamental freedoms. To this end, the United Nations will be guided by the Charter to seek to achieve peace and security, sustainable development and human rights humans for all”defended Guterres after the minute of silence, cited by AFP.

The United States was one of the countries that failed to attend the ceremony, arguing that the “UN should be on the side of the people of Iran” and the president “has been involved in numerous and horrific human rights violations.”

“The United States will not participate, in any capacity, in the event honoring President Raisi, held today by the United Nations. The UN should be on the side of the people of Iran”, highlighted Nate Evans, spokesman for the North-American delegation. American at the UN, on the social network X, adding that “Raisi was involved in numerous and horrific human rights violations, including the extrajudicial execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”

“Some of the worst human rights violations on record occurred during his mandate,” he added.

The tribute at the UN General Assembly took place days after the Security Council also held a minute of silence and Guterres expressed his “sadness” at the death of the Iranian president.

At the time, Guterres’ spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, argued that the Portuguese “has never shied away from expressing his concern about the human rights situation in Iran, especially women’s”but “that doesn’t stop him from expressing his condolences when a head of state, a member of the organization and a minister of foreign affairs, with whom he met regularly, die in a helicopter crash.”

You can see images from the minute of silence in the gallery above.

Read Also: Army rules out sabotage in helicopter crash that killed Raisi

Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2571687/onu-faz-novo-minuto-de-silencio-por-raisi-eua-fizeram-boicote

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