His speech came at a particularly sensitive time for Iran’s ruling elite, as the country has erupted into protests regarding the death of an Iranian woman after she was brutalized by the religious police for incorrectly wearing her hijab.  

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a press release where Commissions Eric Ueland said, “It is outrageous that wearing a loose hijab in Iran can be grounds for this kind of state violence […] Vozara detention center officials must be held accountable for these brazen attacks on women exercising their freedom of religion or belief. Iran’s government, as a member of the United Nations, must also, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, respect the right of protestors to peacefully express their views against mandatory religious head covering.”

The United Nation’s Human Rights Office has called for an investigation into the woman’s death, and many human rights activists questioned the wisdom of allowing President Raisi to address UNGA under such circumstances.

Source: persecution.org