Prominent Iranian human rights activists blasted French President Emmanuel Macron for his congratulatory statement on Monday to the Iranian regime’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi.
“We the people of Iran will never forget this historical betrayal,” tweeted Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and women’s rights activist. “President of a democratic country congratulates a mass murderer like Raisi, who’s ordered the execution of more than 5000 political prisoners in the 80s. He also approved the execution of French-Iranian journalist.”
She added that “France’s president has called today to congratulate Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s new president who has committed crimes against humanity. Mr. Macron: did [you] ever think of calling the family of Ruhollah Zam, French-Iranian who was kidnapped by Islamic Republic and executed?”
Delbar Tavakoli, an Iranian journalist, tweeted: “President Macron, did you ask him why they kidnapped Ruhollah Zam, and why did he approve the execution of a journalist? Ruhollah Zam was under French officials’ protection, was[n’]t he? @EmmanuelMacron.”
Iranians use the moniker “Butcher of Tehran” for Raisi due to his role in the mass murder of Iranians in 1988 and 2019. The US sanctioned Raisi for his grave human rights violations.
“I think it was telling that the French readout of the conversation between Macron and Raisi didn’t reference a congratulations but the Iranian readout did,” said Jason M. Brodsky, a senior Middle East analyst at Iran International, a London-based news organization. “Days into Raisi’s tenure, Western leaders are already treading carefully in attempts to build relationships with the new Iranian presidential administration. It will be harder to engage with Raisi than Rouhani because Raisi’s ascendance represents Iran’s deep state becoming its elected state.”
He added that it was the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic that a chief justice became president. “Someone with a bloodstained record like Raisi will have a more difficult time on the world stage than Rouhani did,” said Brodsky. “And the costs of engagement will increase under this presidency.”
Macron has opposed banning the Iranian regime’s chief strategic partner, Hezbollah, in France and within the European Union.
The conversation between Raisi and Macron, lasting an hour, covered the floundering nuclear talks in Vienna and an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off Oman’s coast in Gulf, carried out by Iran’s regime, according to the US, UK and Israel. Iran’s regime denied the attack.
Two additional Western leaders – the presidents of Switzerland and Austria – also congratulated Raisi on his presidency.
A spokesperson from French Foreign Office Press Department told the Post: "France takes note of Ebrahim Raisi’s election as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We reiterate the concerns we have expressed on a regular basis over the human rights situation in Iran and the situation of our nationals imprisoned in that country, which we continue to follow closely.
We reaffirm our wish to return to the full implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement, a goal French diplomats are actively pursuing. We are also continuing our efforts on behalf of security and stability in the Middle East."
The spokesperson added that "We regularly express our concerns and expectations concerning serious and regular violations of human rights in Iran, as we reiterated on June 21 following Ebrahim Raisi’s election as President.
France reaffirms its unwavering opposition to the death penalty everywhere and in all circumstances."