Iran Mourns As President Raisi Dies In Helicopter Crash, To Elect New President In 50 Days

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the unfortunate fatal Crash of the Helicopter conveying Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as seven others which happened yesterday, Iranians are in deep mourning

The helicopter crashed as it was crossing a mountain terrain in a heavy fog. There were three Helicopters on the trip. Two landed safely at their destination but the President’s Helicopter crashed. It took over 16 hours for the site of the crash to be located, albeit, with the help of concerned countries including India and Turkey.

Raisi,  63 years old, was elected  president in 2021.

According to the Iranuan Constitution, a new President will be elected in 50 days time. Before that, the Vice President will be the interim President.

The late  President first ran for the office in 2017 as the candidate of the conservative Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces. A divisive figure, he lost  to  Hassan Rouhani, 57% to 38.3%.

known as the “butcher of Tehran”, he was one of the four people on the prosecution committee, responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners in Iran in 1988. The Committee was later labeled the “death committee”.

He was sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control in accordance with Executive Order 13876. He was accused of crimes against humanity by international human rights organizations and United Nations special rapporteurs.

Raisi successfully ran for president a second time in 2021 with 62.9% of the votes, succeeding Hassan Rouhani. According to many observers, the 2021 Iranian presidential election was rigged in favour of Raisi, who was considered an ally of Ali Khamenei.

Raisi served in several positions in Iran’s judicial system, such as Deputy Chief Justice (2004–2014), Attorney General (2014–2016), and Chief Justice (2019–2021). He was also Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran in the 1980s and 1990s.

He was Custodian and Chairman of Astan Quds Razavi, a bonyad, from 2016 until 2019.

He was a member of Assembly of Experts from South Khorasan Province, being elected for the first time in the 2006 election. He was the son-in-law of Mashhad Friday prayer leader and Grand Imam of Imam Reza shrine, Ahmad Alamolhoda.