Condolences and an offer of assistance from the EU to locate the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have stirred widespread anger, as reported by Politico. European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic announced in a message that the EU had activated the Copernicus Earth observation system to aid in the search for the aircraft. However, the inclusion of the hashtag #EUSolidarity at the end of the message sparked backlash.
Responses flooded in from disgruntled users, primarily Ukrainians, expressing their discontent with the EU's solidarity gesture. Many questioned the appropriateness of expressing solidarity with what they perceive as a terrorist regime. Others criticized the EU for allegedly attempting to undermine its own integrity by extending support to such a regime.
Critics of the EU's message pointed out Ebrahim Raisi's involvement in the execution of thousands of Iranians, the sponsorship of terrorism by the Islamic Republic, the terrorization of Ukrainian civilians by Iranian drones, and the imprisonment of Swedish EU official Johan Froderus in Iran. Additionally, some referenced Iran's sponsorship of Yemeni Houthi rebels, who have been holding two Bulgarian sailors captive since November 2023, resulting in recent EU sanctions against the Tehran regime.
Janez Lenarcic's message was shared on the profile of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell but did not appear on the profiles of either the Commission or its president, Ursula von der Leyen, who has not yet addressed the helicopter crash, according to Politico. Borrell is expected to issue a statement later today, Brussels sources revealed.
The remarks by Janez Lenarcic also drew ire from EC officials, with one anonymous official stating to Politico that while the message was in line with EU humanitarian aid guidelines, it was perceived as unusual.
Following the announcement, European Council President Charles Michel offered his condolences on the death of Ebrahim Raisi. However, this elicited further outrage online, with users expressing disapproval and calling for silence instead. One user, identified as Hassan Sabah, even went so far as to denounce the EU as a disgrace and expressed satisfaction with the UK's decision to leave the union, which he characterized as weak.
