This tweet shows celebratory fireworks in Iran after the death
of President Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
Raisi was a top contender to succeed Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei.
This tweet claimed to show anti Tehran Iranians as well
as some Israelis dancing in front of the Iranian embassy
in London following Raisi's death.
Raisi was killed on Sunday.
In this video, we explore why so many Iranians would
want to celebrate the tragic death
of their own president. I'm Manisha Dikari and you're watching
First Things fast.
Activist Mariam Mehmar Sadeghi suggested many Iranians were celebrating Gracie's
demise,
noting fireworks in Sake's Massa,
Amini's hometown in Iran. In Kurdistan.
Amidi was a 21 year old Kurdish woman who died
in the custody of Iran's morality police for violating the
hijab code in September
2022. Many tweets showed visuals of the celebrations,
with the activist Mehmar Sadeghi describing it as comic death
for Reisi the Butcher.
We will explain why Racy was referred to as the
butcher in just a bit.
Journalist Masi Ali Najad shared a video of two women
celebrating Racy's death.
She said wounded women dance with the news of the
president's helicopter crash. She mentioned Seema and Mercede who were
injured during the Woman life freedom uprising.
The real mood on the ground is unclear.
Mainstream media reported hundreds gathering in Tehran and Mashad to
pray for Racy's safety,
while online chatter showed many Iranians joking and sharing memes.
Now Iran is one of the world's most repressive countries
for press freedom and one of the biggest jailers of
journalists.
That's according to Reporters Without Borders.
The online chatter suggests Racy,
was widely disliked and there seem to be very good
reasons why.
Racy's presidency was marked by turmoil,
starting with the 2022 nationwide uprising led by women and
young girls sparked by Massa Aminis death protest spread countrywide,
highlighting grievances over economic hardship,
political repression and lack of civil liberties.
The governments harsh response resulted in hundreds of deaths and
thousands of injuries and arrests.
In 2019, two years before he became president,
Reci had become head of Irans Judiciary.
He's accused by many of transforming the judicial system into
a tool for security and intelligence agencies.
In November 2019, amid nationwide protests over a spike in
fuel prices,
security forces killed at least
500 protesters. This brutal suppression included the arrest of activists,
journalists, lawyers, and dual national citizens.
Under AC, Iran maintained one of the highest per capita
execution rates globally.
Political prisoners, including women, face torture,
solitary confinement and denial of medical treatment.
Security officials responsible for violence during protests were granted impunity
and there was no accountability for the Downing of a
Ukrainian passenger plane by the Revolutionary Guards in January 2020,
which came to 176 people.
International rights groups highlight Raci's involvement in the mass execution
of political dissidents in
1988. As a member of the Death Commission,
RACI played a role in ordering the execution of approximately
5000 political prisoners without trials.
He did not deny his participation,
but emphasized his role as a junior official appointed by
the Supreme Leader at the time.
Now, these killings earned him the nickname The Butcher of
Iran.
Under AC, Iran faced significant economic and environmental challenges.
The national currency hit a record low,
exacerbating the economic crisis. Mismanagement and climate change led to
severe water shortages.
Additionally, Iran suffered its deadliest terror attacks since the
1979 revolution in Jan 2024,
when two suicide bombers targeted a memorial for General Qassem
Soleimani,
killing 18-9 people, including thirty children.
In 2022, after Massa Aminis death,
Iranian women defied the hijab rule,
appearing in public without covering their hair.
Racy announced he would reinforce the hijab rule,
dispatching the morality police. Back on the streets,
many arrests of women turned violent.
Resi wore a clerics black turban.
Like Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his predecessor Ayatollah Khamenei.
This black turban is reserved for saeeds of people who
traced the lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad.
Resi was a top contender for the supreme leader's role,
apparently favored by Iran's hardline faction.
But his death has now paved the way for Ayatollah
Khamenei,
Son Mushtabah, to succeed his father,
who is 85 and frail.
According to the New York Times.
Mushtaba is already an influential cleric who helps run his
father's office.
The deeply religious establishment in Iran,
represented by figures like Rezi,
is struggling to maintain its grip on power.
According to many observers, Rezi's presidency symbolized the tension between
a conservative leadership and a society increasingly yearning for progress.
The public sentiment following his death,
whether celebratory or mournful, underscores the evolving dynamics within Iran.
The future of Iran may hinge on how it navigates
these winds of change.
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