Iran cracks down on protest as its president slates West for human rights abuses

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi yesterday railed against oppression, injustice, and human rights violations by the West, even as his own shock troops simultaneously brutalised citizens back home.

- BORZOU DARAGAHI

Mr Raisi was in New York for the 77th gathering of the United Nations General Assembly. He addressed the assembly in a speech in which he condemned abuses by Canada against Indigenous people, by the United States against migrants, and by Israel against Palestinians, but ignored his own regime’s violations.

“Human rights belong to all but are unfortunately trampled upon by other governments,” he said. “We believe any oppressive action is a threat to world peace and stability. America cannot stand that some countries are able to stand on their own two feet.”

In his speech, Mr Raisi recounted a long list of grievances against the West, dating from international pressure on Iran during the early 20th century up to the 2020 US assassination of Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani, whose portrait he held up and waved before the General Assembly chamber. He criticised the US for tearing up the 2015 nuclear deal that his hardline faction vocally opposed when it was negotiated by his predecessor while accusing Western powers of bullying Iran.

“What we seek is the rights of the Iranian nation, the Iranian people,” he said. “A relationship based on oppression will not be tolerated. None of the successes of the Iranian nation have been acceptable to the world powers.”