The United States will not take part on Thursday in a United Nations event that was planned to honor Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was recently killed in a helicopter crash, said a US official.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the U.S. will not participate in the tribute, which will feature speeches about Raisi, in any way, reports Reuters.

This is the first time this boycott by the U.S. has been reported publicly.

The United Nations General Assembly usually holds such tributes for all world leaders who were in office at the time of their death.

“The United Nations should be standing with the people of Iran, not memorializing their decades-long oppressor,” said the U.S. official. “Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”

“Some of the worst human rights abuses on record, especially against the women and girls of Iran, took place during his tenure,” the official said.

Raisi, a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border on May 19.

The U.S. offered their official condolences for Raisi’s death, which was strongly criticized by some Republican members of Congress.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York declined to provide a comment.

Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque