Dissident Expresses Joy Amid Mourning for President Raisi
Following Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, dissident Saeed Afkari, brother of the executed wrestler Navid Afkari, has publicly shared his joy.
Following Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, dissident Saeed Afkari, brother of the executed wrestler Navid Afkari, has publicly shared his joy.
In a message on X, Saeed remarked, "I haven't seen my mother this happy in years." The sentiment reflects the scars left by Raisi's tenure as head of the judiciary, a period characterized by repression and injustice, particularly for families like the Afkaris who suffered directly under his rule.
Navid Afkari was executed on September 12, 2020, after enduring a controversial trial marred by inconsistencies and accusations of torture that occurred during Raisi's tenure.
His execution, amid international condemnation, became a symbol of the regime's oppressive tactics against dissent and its punitive measures against those who dare to challenge its authority.
The torment endured by Navid's family continued as Saeed recounted an incident involving another brother, Vahid. He described how, after Navid’s execution, representatives from Raisi's office coerced Vahid with a life-threatening ultimatum in the shadows of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, underscoring the impact of Raisi’s policies on countless Iranian lives.
As news of Raisi’s death spread, reactions within Iran were divided, with the majority expressing their jubilation on social media—a contrast to the official mourning period declared by the Supreme Leader. The celebrations reflect a pent-up resentment and opposition toward a regime viewed as suppressive and economically disastrous, highlighting the deep divisions within Iranian society.
The comment by Afkari comes amid an escalating use of the death penalty in Iran, following the unprecedented nationwide protests in 2022. An Amnesty International report released last month, titled "Don't Let Them Kill Us," highlighted an unprecedented surge in executions in Iran in 2023. The report noted that at least 853 individuals were executed, with a significant portion of those executed being minorities, including Kurds.
“Mr. Mokhber will manage the executive power in line with Article 131 of the Constitution and will coordinate with the heads of legislative and judicial branches to elect a new president within fifty days,” stated Ali Khamenei in a message of condolence. The swift transition underlines the regime's intent to maintain a firm grip on power amidst potential instability.
At 68, Mokhber, who has historically maintained a low profile, is stepping into the limelight under controversial circumstances. His tenure as the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), and former chairman of the board at Sina Bank, has been marked by ambitions overshadowed by inefficiency and opacity, particularly noted during Iran's struggle to produce a COVID-19 vaccine. Promises of widespread vaccine availability were unfulfilled, raising questions about the allocation of resources and government accountability.
EIKO is an extensive tax-exempt, "charitable" business conglomerate controlled by Khamenei's office, which has its tentacles on a range of sectors in Iran's economy.
Despite the controversies, Mokhber's academic credentials include a doctorate in international law and he has been a member of Iran’s Expediency Council since 2022. His past inclusion and subsequent removal from the European Union's sanctions list for alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities adds a layer of international scrutiny to his new role as acting president.
Amidst the leadership upheaval, Ali Bahadori Jahromi, the government spokesman, revealed another significant appointment. Ali Bagheri Kani, previously a political deputy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a former Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has been named head of the government's Foreign Relations Committee.
Kani, known for his role in the September 2023 prisoner release deal with the United States, represents a continuity of Iran's hardline stance in its international negotiations.
The death of former foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was an opportunity for Mr. Khamenei to appoint a more seasoned and "moderate" figure to try to find some common ground with the United States over its controversial nuclear program and regional issues.
As Iran observes five days of national mourning declared by Khamenei, the recent events not only cast a shadow over Iran's internal governance but also signal potential shifts in its foreign policy approach under new leadership fraught with challenges and skepticism.
This is the story of a young member of the Death Committee that ordered the execution of around 5,000 political prisoners serving their prison terms in 1988. He loyally served the clerical regime for 45 years and finally was elected President after Ali Khamenei’s men barred most serious rivals from running as candidates.
"The greatest crime in the Islamic Republic since the beginning of the revolution was committed by you. In the future, you will be remembered among the criminals of history." These were the words that Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the dismissed deputy of the Islamic Republic’s first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, said to a group of five that later became known as the Death Committee on August 15, 1988. One of them was the 28-year-old deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi. The eighth president of the Islamic Republic was killed in an aviation accident taking many secrets to the grave with him. Ebrahim Raisi was born in December 1959 in Mashhad and completed his primary education at Javadiyeh Elementary School in this city, after which he enrolled in a seminary and never received a standard education.
He entered the seminary in Qom in 1975 and began his clerical studies at Boroujerdi School, supervised by Morteza Pasandideh, the elder brother of Ruhollah Khomeini. In fact, when the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, Raisi was 19 years old and four years into his clerical studies. At 20 years old, with only five years of clerical study, he was appointed as a deputy prosecutor in Karaj. Islamic law needed clerical prosecutors and judges whose main education was knowing the Sharia.
In 1982, at the age of 22, he became the prosecutor of Hamedan and married Jamileh Alamolhoda, daughter of Ahmad Alamolhoda, the current Friday prayer Imam of Mashhad. At 25, in 1984, Raisi was appointed deputy head of the Revolutionary Court and, in 1988, as deputy prosecutor of Tehran, he joined the Death Committee, which directed the execution of thousands between August and September 1988.
After Khomeini's death, from 1989 to 1993, he served as Tehran's first prosecutor under Ali Khamenei's leadership. From 1993 to 2003, he was the head of the General Inspection Organization. From 2003 to 2013, under the judiciary chiefs Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and Sadeq Larijani, he served as the first deputy head of the judiciary. For a short period from 2014 to 2015, he was the Attorney General of Iran. From 2015 to 2019, Ali Khamenei appointed him as the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, an important and wealthy Shiite shrine. During this period, rumors about his potential succession to Khamenei intensified, fueled by images of his meetings with IRGC commanders and a special envoy from Putin.
Raisi attempted to change his appearance, wearing a cloak instead of his traditional robe, and engaged with people in Khorasan, hoping to win the 2017 presidential election. However, he was defeated by Hassan Rouhani, receiving about 16 million votes compared to Rouhani's 24 million. Following Sadeq Larijani's controversial departure from the judiciary, Raisi, after failing to secure the presidency, was appointed head of the judiciary by Ali Khamenei.
Images of senior IRGC commanders meeting with Ebrahim Raisi at Astan Quds fueled speculation about his potential succession after Khamenei. During his tenure, he conducted high-profile trials, such as that of Akbar Tabari, the former deputy of Sadeq Larijani, building an anti-corruption image while sidelining Larijani, who was considered a potential successor to Khamenei. During this time, he held another significant position. From June 2012 to September 2021, he was the prosecutor of the Special Clerical Court, an institution established by Ruhollah Khomeini and operating outside the judiciary, directly overseen by the Supreme Leader, dealing with clerical infringements.
In 2021, Raisi entered the presidential race again, winning one of the lowest-turnout elections in the history of the Islamic Republic. His presidency was marked by severe economic recession and inflation, as sanctions imposed by former US President Donald Trump and worsening mismanagement and corruption ravaged the economy.
His weak and often blundering speeches cast a shadow over his aspirations for succession. Three years into his presidency, economic indicators reached unprecedented lows.
The most intense wave of protests, strikes, and the revolutionary uprising of 2022 occurred during his tenure.
On May 19, 2024, at the age of 63, Ebrahim Raisi died without realizing his ultimate dream of becoming the Supreme Leader.
He will be remembered by Iranians for his many blunders that revealed his lack of education, and his role in the Death Committee -- overseeing the deaths of thousands of innocent lives.
