Earlier this month, Ebrahim Raisi was formally inaugurated as the Iranian regime’s new president in a public ceremony, amidst an audience of international pariahs and terrorists, along with the questionable presence of a senior European Union representative.

As a result of his appearance at the event, Enrique Mora, the Deputy High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has been scolded by members of the European Parliament.

The NCRI said, “The EU’s decision to legitimize the presidency of a mass murderer makes a mockery of Europe’s commitment to upholding human rights. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, seven UN Special Rapporteurs, Amnesty International, and 152 leading international human rights experts, have called for an international investigation into Ebrahim Raisi’s role in the 1988 massacre, which killed over 30,000 political prisoners. Over 90% of them were affiliated with the main opposition Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).”

The inauguration event took place earlier this month, as the regime’s repressive forces continued to fire live ammunition at protesters who have been taking to the streets on a regular basis in many parts of the country as they call for democratic change and the overthrow of the clerical regime.

The NCRI said, “Deciding to attend the inauguration of the henchman of 1988 is an affront to the Iranian people. Moreover, the ruling regime will consider it as a green light to continue with the export of terrorism and warmongering.”

Following the inauguration, Raisi was said to have met with the heads of a number of pro-regime terrorist groups, encouraging them to continue and intensify their attacks and to boost the presence of Tehran’s so-called warriors in the Middle-East region. The representatives were from Hamas, the Iraqi al-Hashd al-Sha’bi, the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Yemeni militias.

In a meeting with the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, Raisi gave the group the regime’s full support for inciting war in the region, under the guise of defending Palestine.

The NCRI said, “Known as the ‘1988 Henchman’ by the Iranian people, Raisi is a widely reviled figure who came to power after a sham election, which was resoundingly boycotted by the Iranian people. According to opposition tallies, less than 10 percent of eligible voters participated in the election farce.”

Prior to Raisi’s inauguration, July saw many mass protests flaring up across Iran, notably in Khuzestan province, amongst many other cities. They made their desire for a regime overthrow known as they chanted ‘Death to Dictator’.

The NCRI said, “…the reckless presence of a senior EU diplomat at Raisi’s inauguration has not only sent a disastrously wrong message to Tehran, but it also signals that the EU is blatantly ignoring the regime’s horrific crimes against humanity and its persistent murder of peaceful protesters. By disregarding the voice of the Iranian people, the EU has enabled the regime to regroup its criminal forces and marshal foreign mercenaries to further destabilize the region and the world.”