Why Syrians Will Not Be Mourning the Death of the Iranian President
Today’s announcement of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi in a helicopter crash in Azerbaijan has not evoked sorrow among many Syrians, largely due to the significant and controversial role Iran has played in supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Under Raeisi’s leadership, Iran continued its unwavering support for Assad’s regime, which has been implicated in severe human rights violations against its own population.
The body of the Iranian President has been recovered after yesterday’s helicopter crash.
Iranian Support for Assad
Iran’s involvement in Syria has been substantial, providing military and financial support that has enabled Assad to maintain his grip on power despite widespread international condemnation. This support has been instrumental in allowing Assad to wage a brutal war against his own people, leading to a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. According to various reports, the Iranian government, including under Raisi, turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Assad’s regime in order to preserve their strategic alliance and influence in the region. An exact dollar figure in terms of monthly financial support Iran gives to Syria monthly varies greatly but is believed to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This amount comes in the forms of cash, subsidized oil, payments to Iranian backed militia fighters, training sessions conducted by the IRGC, and more. All of this support was continued under Raeisi’s watch.
Iran has long since dismissed the Syrian people’s aspirations for justice and attributed the unrest to the meddling of “takfiri” groups. Raeisi said in March of 2023, “We have stood by and will stand by the Syrian government and people, both during the time when they faced Takfiri groups and now that they cut off the evil hands of Takfiri groups and started rebuilding Syria.”
Human Rights Abuses and Prison Conditions
The human rights situation in Syria under Assad has been dire. Syrian prisons are notorious for their horrific conditions and the widespread use of torture. According to estimates, tens of thousands of detainees have faced severe mistreatment and extrajudicial killings. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented numerous cases of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances. These abuses have been largely ignored by the Iranian government, which has prioritized maintaining Assad in power over addressing these violations.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has reported that at least 15,051 individuals, including 190 children and 94 women, have lost their lives due to torture in detention centers under the Assad regime since March 2011. Furthermore, nearly 136,000 detainees or forcibly disappeared individuals continue to endure severe torture..
Lack of Sympathy Among Syrians
Given this context, it is understandable why many Syrians are not mourning the death of Raisi. For them, he represents a regime that has contributed significantly to their suffering. The financial and military aid from Iran has prolonged the conflict, leading to more deaths and displacements. The close relationship between Raisi and Assad symbolizes a partnership that has brought immense pain and hardship to the Syrian populace.
Another SNHR report confirmed that the military field courts of the Assad regime issued at least 14,843 death sentences between March 2011 and August 2023, leading to the execution of 7,872 individuals. It added that their bodies were never returned to their grieving families, and their deaths were not officially communicated to their loved ones.
In conclusion, the death of Ebrahim Raisi is unlikely to be mourned by Syrians who have experienced firsthand the devastating impact of the alliance between Iran and the Assad regime. This relationship has been marked by ongoing support for a government that has committed egregious human rights violations against its own people, a reality that Syrians are acutely aware of and deeply resentful towards.
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