国連総会、事故死のライシ師追悼　米はボイコット

【国連ＡＦＰ＝時事】国連総会は３０日、ヘリコプター墜落事故で死亡したイランのイブラヒム・ライシ大統領を追悼した。だが、米国がボイコットするなど西側の反発も起きた。（写真は、ヘリコプター墜落事故で死亡したイランのイブラヒム・ライシ大統領を追悼するための写真が掲示された国連総会の議場）
　国連のアントニオ・グテレス事務総長は１分間の黙とうの後、５月１９日の墜落事故でライシ師と共に亡くなった犠牲者の遺族とイラン国民に哀悼の意を表した。
　国連総会では加盟国の元首が在任中に死亡した場合、追悼するのが慣例となっている。昨年２月にはナミビア独立の旗手だったハーゲ・ガインゴブ大統領、２０１１年には北朝鮮の金正日総書記も追悼した。
　今回のライシ師への追悼では、西側諸国の代表は誰も演説せず、フランスや米国のように参加をボイコットした国もあった。
　国連米代表部の広報を担当するネイト・エバンス氏は「国連はイラン国民と共にあるべきだ。ライシ師は１９８８年の政治犯数千人の超法規的殺人など、数多くの恐ろしい人権侵害に関与した」「記録されている最悪の人権侵害のいくつかは、彼の在任中に行われた」と強く批判した。
　米ニューヨークの国連本部前では、イランの反体制派数十人が 「国連の恥 」とシュプレヒコールを上げた。
　イスラエルのギラド・エルダン国連大使もライシ師追悼を非難した。
　エルダン氏はライシ師の死亡が確認された今月２０日、国連安全保障理事会の冒頭で１分間の黙とうが行われた際にもこれを非難し、Ｘ（旧ツイッター）への投稿で「残虐行為を防ぐために設立された国連が、今日では大量殺りくを行う独裁者に敬意を表している！」と批判した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/05/31-16:54）

The UN General Assembly drew criticism Thursday for its tribute to the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash, with Washington boycotting the gathering.
Following a minute's silence, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the May 19 incident, as well as to the Iranian people.
I wish to assure that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and in the quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms, Guterres said.
For that, the United Nations will be guided by the Charter to help realize peace and security, sustainable development and human rights for all, he added.
Asked about the UN chief offering condolences in the days after the leader's death, Guterres's official spokesman defended his position.
The Secretary-General has never been shy about expressing his deep concerns about the human rights situation in Iran, notably on the issues of women, said Stephane Dujarric.
It does not stop him from expressing condolences when the head of state of a Member State of this organization, and a foreign minister, with whom he met regularly? dies in a helicopter crash, he added.
The General Assembly pays tribute to any head of state of a UN member country who dies in office, including Namibian president Hage Geingob, an independence stalwart, last February, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2011.
Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, spoke for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and hailed Raisi's legacy of socio-economic and political transformation in Iran.
No representatives of Western countries spoke at the tribute and some, such as France and the United States, did not send representatives.
The UN should be standing with the people of Iran. Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, said spokesman for the US delegation, Nate Evans.
Some of the worst human rights abuses on record took place during his tenure, Evans added.
Outside the UN headquarters in New York several dozen protesters opposed to the Iranian authorities chanted shame on UN.
Israel's ambassador Gilad Erdan, who condemned the initial minute silence at the Security Council on May 20, also hit out at Thursday's event.
The UN was founded to prevent atrocities, but today it salutes mass-murdering dictators! he wrote on X last week.