
The U.N. General Assembly’s tribute to Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi was snubbed by Western and East European nations on Thursday amid protests against honoring a leader who was reviled for his crackdown on opponents.
The assembly’s tribute was no surprise. It is a longstanding practice that the 193-member world body holds a plenary meeting to pay tribute to the memory of a sitting head of state who dies, where all U.N. regional groups send representatives to speak about their life and legacy. And there were some warm tributes to Raisi, especially from African nations.