Amnesty International: Crimes against humanity overshadow Raisi's inauguration
Amnesty International announced in a series of Twitter messages its protest against the presence of the European Union representative at the inauguration ceremony of President Ebrahim Raisi.
The message reads: “Crimes against humanity have cast a terrible shadow over the inauguration of Ebrahim Raisi as President of Iran. We continue to declare that he should be subject to criminal investigation for his role in past and ongoing crimes against humanity related to the 1967 massacre.”
In 2018, as the deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi was one of four people who decided on the execution of each political prisoner. Opponents of the Islamic Republic refer to these four as the “Death Committee.” After asking a few questions about the prisoners’ political and religious beliefs, this committee decided whether they should be executed or let live.
Amnesty International added in its Twitter message: "The international community, including the European Union, which is set to send its representative Enrique Moura to the inauguration, must publicly demonstrate its commitment to fighting against Iran's impunity for extrajudicial executions and other cases of killings, enforced disappearances and torture."
The human rights organization is calling on world leaders to “call on the UN Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigation and accountability mechanism for Iran to prevent a repeat of the cycle of bloodshed and ensure justice and accountability for victims and survivors.”
The inauguration ceremony of President Ebrahim Raisi will be held on Thursday, August 5, at the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran.
The Tehran Governor's Office has announced that all offices, banks, and private companies will be closed on this day due to the inauguration ceremony.
On November 4, 2019, the United States Treasury Department placed Ebrahim Raisi, along with eight other close associates of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on a sanctions list for their role in “repressions inside and outside Iran” and human rights violations.
Source: DW
