The Australian Government has a moral obligation to boycott today’s appalling UN General Assembly tribute to the man known to many Iranians as the Butcher of Tehran.

Australia and like-minded countries should be standing with the innocent victims of the Islamic Republic Regime under Raisi, many of whom were women and girls.

As US officials have said today in confirming their boycott of the UN tribute, many of the worst human rights abuses on record occurred during his tenure in various positions of power, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.

The actions of the UN in organising this tribute and by senior officials paying personal tributes to Raisi have appalled many in the Iranian diaspora community. The Albanese Government should confirm that Australia will also refuse to participate in memorialising the Butcher of Tehran.