IZMIR - The President of Iran, who lost his life in a helicopter crash, was remembered with his attitude towards the resistance that started against the execution of thousands of people and the murder of Jina Emini.

 

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi, Foreign Minister Hussein Emir Abdullahiyan, Tabriz Imam Al Hashim and East Azerbaijan Governor Doctor Melik Rahmeti crashed in East Azerbaijan province yesterday. All 4 people lost their lives in the accident. The period of Reisi, who was elected President of Iran in 2021, was marked by the economic crisis, Jina Emini protests, conflicts with Israel and hostility towards Kurds.

 

HE WAS IN THE DEATH COMMISSION 

 

Born in Mashhad on December 14, 1960, Reisi started his career as a Kerech prosecutor in 1981, following the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. Reisi, who quickly became the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Tehran, took part in the committee that decided to execute the imprisoned regime opponents in 1988, upon the instructions of the Iranian revolutionary leader Khomeini. Reisi, who is part of the 4-person delegation called the "Death Commission" by the opponents of the regime, is called the "Ayatollah of Massacre" by the opponents. It is claimed that approximately 3 thousand people were executed during the period he was on the commission that made execution decisions. Reisi, who was placed on the sanctions list by the United States in November 2019 for his role in the execution of political prisoners and the suppression of street protests in 2009, made no statement about the role he played in the executions.

 

After Khomeini's death, Reisi served as Chief Prosecutor of Tehran between 1989 and 1994, and as Head of the State Audit Agency between 1994 and 2004. Reisi, who became the First Deputy Head of the Judicial Power in 2004, was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of Iran in 2014, and as the President of the Imam Reza Shrine and Complex Foundation in the city of Mashhad in 2016. Reisi, who became the Head of the Judicial Power in March 2019, won the elections held on June 18, 2021 and became the 8th President of Iran.

 

EXECUTIONS HAVE TRIPLED

 

There was a huge increase in executions after Reisi, also known as a member of the "Death Commission", became President in 1988. According to reports jointly prepared by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Alliance Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), at least 333 people were executed in 2021, when Reisi was President. The number of executions increased to 582 in 2022 and 834 in 2023. While there was an almost 3-fold increase in death sentences, it was also noteworthy that these were against ethnic and religious minorities. The regime, which executed Kurdish political activists in public areas, also targeted the Baloch people in the executions that took place in 2023. According to the 2023 report, 167 of the 834 people executed were Baloch. Although the Baluch community corresponds to 5 percent of Iran's population, it accounted for 20 percent of the total executions in 2023.

 

VIOLENCE AGAINST ECONOMIC CRISIS ACTIONS

 

While the Reisi followed an aggressive stance in domestic and foreign politics during his time in office, he faced economic crisis protests immediately after the elections he won with the promise of "fighting the economic crisis". After the high increase in bread and pasta prices in May 2022, street protests began in many cities of Iran. The protests, which were especially effective in Khuzestan province, were met with harsh attacks by the regime forces. As a result of the attacks of the law enforcement and revolutionary guards, many people were injured, detained and arrested. The internet was completely cut off in the cities where the protests took place, and the connection speed was weakened in the surrounding cities.

 

ROLE IN JÎNA EMÎNÎ PROTESTS

 

Immediately after these protests, the most massive demonstrations in Iran in recent years took place. Iranian Kurd Jîna Emînî was detained in Tehran on September 13, 2022 by guidance patrols known as the "Morality police" on the grounds that she "did not comply with the headscarf rules" and died on September 16 as a result of torture. Jîna Emînî's death while in custody sparked a large-scale protest movement in the country. While images of women burning their headscarves and cutting their hair spread, the slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Woman, Life, Freedom)" became the symbol of the protests. Reisi, who made a statement after Jîna Emînî's death, said: "Those who participated in the riots will be dealt with decisively, this is the people's demand." Reisi, who took a harsh stance on the protests that spread across the country after the murder of Jîna Emînî, gave instructions for the protests to be suppressed by law enforcement forces. According to UN figures, 551 protesters were killed by security forces during the months-long protests. More than 20 thousand protesters were detained and 9 people were executed.

 

HEADSCARF LAW PRESENTED

 

Continuing his harsh stance within the country, Reisi presented the draft bill "Supporting Chastity and Hijab Culture" to the Iranian Parliament on the first anniversary of the murder of Jîna Emînî. With the law passed by the Parliament on September 20, 2023, the law stipulating fines, blocking of banking services and judicial proceedings for violations of the compulsory headscarf law.

 

MIDDLE EAST POLICY

 

During the reign of Reisi, who was known for his harsh stance in domestic politics, tensions constantly escalated in the Middle East. During the reign of Reisi, who continued his influence in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Iran attacked Israel directly and openly for the first time in its history. After Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1, 2024, Iran attacked Israel with unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles on April 13, 2024. Following the movement called "Operation Faithful Promise", Israel also launched an attack on Iran. Reisi claimed that after these attacks, his stance against America and Israel was receiving more and more support from the public. Reisi, who is known for his harsh rhetoric against Israel on the Palestinian issue, once again emphasized his support for the Palestinians hours before his helicopter crashed and said: "Palestine is the first issue of the Muslim world."

 

NORMALIZATION STEPS

 

In March 2023, he took steps to mend relations with his regional rival Saudi Arabia. However, the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7 and Israel's attacks on Gaza dragged the region into a new equation. Hizbullah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various armed groups in Iraq and Syria have brought about the potential for conflict involving Iran to spread to a wide area. However, it still entered the normalization process with negotiations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Reisi, who is known for his close relations with Turkey, signed a 10-article agreement with President Erdoğan, whom he met in Turkey on January 24, regarding cooperation in the fields of Joint Economic Commission, security, transportation, customs, border and agriculture.

 

NOT WELL REMEMBERED

 

On the other hand, following Reisi's death, human rights defenders and women's organizations shared posts on many virtual media platforms reminiscent of executions and oppression of women in Iran.