Iranian women celebrate death of President Ebrahim Raisi

Scores of Iranian women are celebrating the death of their President, who led a brutal crackdown on rights.

Scores of Iranian women posted videos of themselves celebrating the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi — openly dancing on his “dirty grave” after he oversaw a brutal crackdown on 2022 protests against the Islamic “morality police.”

Raisi, a reviled leader known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” died when his helicopter crashed in a remote region of the country on Sunday.

While the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, announced five days of public mourning in the wake of the 63-year-old’s death, a slew of women took to social media to share clips of themselves throwing back drinks and otherwise cheering his demise, New York Post reports.

“We freely dance and celebrate on your dirty grave,” one woman, Mersedeh Shahinkar, tweeted.

Shahinkar was blinded by Iranian security forces after taking part in mass protests across Iran in 2022 that were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for not properly wearing a hijab in public.

Shahinkar filmed herself smiling and dancing alongside Sima Moradbeigi, who lost her right arm after being shot by cops during a women’s rights protest during the same period of unrest.

The daughters of Minoo Majidi, a 62-year-old woman killed during the same protests, shared a clip of themselves toasting news of Raisi’s death with the song “Helikopter” by Bosnian singer Fazlija blasting in the background.

Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini on September 21, 2022, days after she died in police custody. Picture: AFP

Meanwhile, Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, who lives in Brooklyn, shared a video of a mum and daughter rejoicing — just months after Raisi had ordered the execution of the woman’s son.

“Just a few months ago, Ebrahim Raisi executed her son, Now, she’s dancing over his death in a helicopter crash,” Alinejad tweeted.

“I told you Iranian women are wounded, but unbowed to their oppressors. My social media is flooded with videos of the family members of those killed by the President of the Islamic Republic, celebrating his death.”

A UN Human Rights Council report this year found that more than 500 Iranians were killed in the government’s brutal crackdown on the protests, and more than 22,000 were arrested.

Nasibe Samsaei, an Iranian woman living in Turkey, cuts her ponytail off during a protest outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul on September 21, 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Picture: Yasin Akgul / AFP

The report also found that Iranian security forces raped or otherwise sexually assaulted many women in custody.

Footage was also circulating on social media showing people setting off fireworks and cheering in the wake of Raisi’s death.

The scenes of celebration unfolded as government loyalists packed into mosques and squares to pray for Raisi.

Iranians gather at Valiasr Square in central Tehran to mourn the death of President Ebrahim Raisi. Picture: Atta Kenare / AFP

Raisi’s body, as well as that of his foreign minister and six others, was found by rescuers on Monday after an overnight search in a blizzard and heavy fog.

Raisi was travelling in a convoy of choppers when his went down near the city of Jolfa, about 600km northwest of Tehran, Iran’s official news agency INRA said.

Early footage and images of the crash site showed scattered debris and detached helicopter parts strewn across the mountainous terrain.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Iranian women celebrate death of President Ebrahim Raisi