U.S. boycotts the United Nations tribute to late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi after he perished in helicopter crash

The U.S. boycotted the United Nations tribute to Iran's late U.S. President Ebrahim Raisi, dubbed 'the Butcher of Tehran' Thursday. 

At a sparsely attended U.N. General Assembly meeting, delegates from around the world stood for a minute to pay their respects to the leader who was killed in a recent helicopter crash. 

Several members from Iran were in attendance and some U.N. leaders from around the world went over to express condolences to the Iranians.

Notably, no one from the U.S. appeared to attend the session in an act of protest against the leader who had a laundry list of well-documented human rights violations. 

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the delegates at the United Nations General Assembly during a ceremonial tribute to Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi at the United Nations headquarters in New York

Raisi was widely expected to succeed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before he died in a helicopter crash in north Iran near the border with Azerbaijan. 

The crash happened earlier this month on May 19. 

Paying tribute to deceased world leaders is a typical practice for the 193-member General Assembly when a head of state dies in office. 

Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, said 'The United States will not attend today's United Nations tribute event for President Raisi in any capacity.'

'Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988,' Evans said. 'Some of the worst human rights abuses on record took place during his tenure.' 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) stands during a moment of silence during a United Nations (UN) General Assembly tribute to the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at UN headquarters in New York on May 30, 2024

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Saeed Iravani (L) receives condolences during a United Nations (UN) General Assembly tribute to the late Iranian leader

Raisi was 63-years-old and perished alongside several other state officials

Other U.N. delegates gave speeches during the roughly 50 minute memorial meeting.

Raisi grew notoriety for sitting on a 1988 panel that oversaw the execution of hundreds of political prisoners.

The panel was convened to sentence political dissidents after the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq. 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked during the tribute that the late leader oversaw the country during turbulent times regionally and internationally. 

'The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and in the quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms,' Guterres said. 

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani also celebrated the late Raisi and others who died in the crash. 

'They were not just figures of authority, but also a symbol of hope, resilience and the enduring power of good governance and diplomacy,' Iravani sad at the U.N. meeting.

Rescuers recover bodies at the crash site of a helicopter transporting Iran's President, his Foreign Minister, and others in a fog-covered mountainous area of Varzaghan in northwestern Iran on May 20, 2024

The crash occurred in the northern part of Iran 

Iranians living in New York protest the commemoration ceremony of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

'We remain committed to upholding the principles of peace, security, justice and multilateralism that they tirelessly supported.' 

An Iranian election for a new president is scheduled to take place on June 28.