Israel's UN envoy waves Mahsa Amini photo during Iranian president's speech

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan waved a photo of Mahsa Amini, the Kurdish Iranian killed in the custody of Tehran’s “morality police” last September, during an address by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday night.

שפל חדש באו״ם‼️עזבתי את אולם העצרת הכללית מייד בתחילת נאומו של נשיא איראן ראיסי, ״הקצב מטהרן״. הנפתי מולו את תמונתה של מהסא אמיני, שנרצחה באכזריות לפני כשנה על ידי המשטר האיראני, לאחר שלא לבשה חיג׳אב באופן ״ראוי״. בחוץ מפגינים מאות איראנים, שזועקים לעזרת הקהילה הבינלאומית.… pic.twitter.com/krOZERl4lM

— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) September 19, 2023

The photo included text reading: “Iranian women deserve freedom now!” Erdan and the Israeli delegation proceeded to exit the plenum after displaying the photo. Erdan was temporarily detained by UN security personnel after exiting the plenum, with a video published by the Iranian IRNA news agency showing someone calling Erdan a “terrorist” and shouting “Israel is a terrorist” as he was escorted out.

اخراج دیپلمات رژیم جعلی صهیونیستی از صحن سازمان مللبا آغاز سخنرانی رئیس‌جمهور در مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل، یک عضو هیئت رژیم صهیونیستی با بالا گرفتن عکس مهسا امینی به دنبال اخلال در جلسه بود که از صحن سازمان ملل اخراج شده و توسط نیروهای امنیتی بازداشت شد pic.twitter.com/g6MCXXwwqR

— خبرگزاری ایرنا (@IRNA_1313) September 19, 2023

“While the butcher from Tehran is speaking at the UN and is being respected by the international community, hundreds of Iranians are protesting outside, shouting and calling on the international community to wake up and help them! It is a disgrace that ambassadors stay to listen to a mass murderer,” Erdan said.

“It is inconceivable that a murderer with blood on his hands gets a platform here at the UN. I left the hall to make it clear that the State of Israel stands by the Iranian people. I call on the international community to stop the madness and prevent murderers and antisemites from coming and speaking here at the UN.”

Raisi is often referred to as the “butcher of Tehran” in light of his involvement in the mass executions of Iranian political prisoners in the 1980s.

Amini’s death in September 2022 sparked intensive protests across Iran, commonly referred to as the “Woman, Life, Liberty” (“Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” in Kurdish) protests, last September, which continued in full strength for months on end.

During the weekend, sporadic protests took place in a number of cities across Iran to mark the anniversary of Amini’s death.

Erdan expresses support for protesting Iranians

Earlier, Erdan published a video of himself in front of a protest display set up by Iranian protesters in front of the UN. The display showed the photos of Iranians killed by the regime.

While the UN rolls out the red carpet for the Butcher of Tehran, President Raisi, Iranians in New York are here to show the true face of the Ayatollah regime. The leaders in Iran only seek to oppress, starve, and murder their own people, while exporting terror and racing toward… pic.twitter.com/45jrRNUQzq

— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) September 19, 2023

“While the UN rolls out the red carpet for the Butcher of Tehran, President Raisi, Iranians in New York are here to show the true face of the Ayatollah regime. The leaders in Iran only seek to oppress, starve, and murder their own people, while exporting terror and racing toward nuclear weapons,” wrote Erdan on X (formerly Twitter).

“The world must wake up and listen to the voices of innocent Iranians! The Ayatollah regime must be held accountable for their crimes and pay the price! The people of Israel stand with the people of Iran.”