While a less important figure in the Iranian government than the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi was a key figure in the Iranian regime for decades prior to becoming President in 2021. An Islamic cleric and jurist, he previously served as Chief Justice and, as a prosecutor in the 1980s, was a member of Iran’s so-called “death committee,” responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners.

His presidency was marked by a violent crackdown on protests over the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for wearing her hijab improperly, starting in September 2022. Raisi had tightened rules on women’s dress a month prior.