Tehran, Iran - May 22, 2024

Storyline:
Coffins of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others were transported to the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday, as thousands of people gathered to pay their respects during the funeral procession, calling Raisi a martyr who worked for the underprivileged.

The bodies of Raisi and others who were killed in a helicopter crash in Iran's northwestern province of East Azerbaijan last Sunday were transferred from the Tabriz to the capital city on Tuesday.

The funeral procession officially started at 07:30 local time on the campus of the University of Tehran, where Iranian citizens and senior officials had already gathered to mourn the losses of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azarbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and representative of Iran's Supreme Leader to East Azarbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, all of whom were on board of the helicopter.

They also mourned the death of the head of the president security team Mehdi Mousavi, the helicopter's pilot and co-pilot Taher Mostafavi and Mohsen Daryanoush respectively, and flight crew member Behrouz Qadimi.

People gathered with families and accompanied the bodies along the path on the very hard day, with some holding the pictures of Raisi who was maintained as a polarizing figure in Iran and perhaps not loved by all.

A commemoration ceremony was held for Raisi and his entourage on Wednesday evening at the International Conference Center in Tehran. According to the official news agency IRNA, 68 officials paid respect to the bodies of Raisi and his entourage.

The late president's body will be laid to rest in the holy shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Thursday.

Shotlist:
Tehran, Iran - May 22, 2024:
1. Various of crowds joining procession to pay tribute to Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi, late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, other helicopter crash victims; locals weeping;
2. Local holding picture;
3. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed with English) resident (name not given) (starting with shot 2):
"Yes, there are some who did not like him. There were also people who did not like our Imams, but they were not sinners, were they?"
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed with English) resident (name not given) (ending with shot 5):
"He (Raisi) was a symbol of purity, servicing people and sacrifice. He was our pride."
5. Portrait of Raisi;
Tehran, Iran - May 21, 2024:
6. Various of farewell ceremony in progress;
7. Various of locals mourning Raisi, holding pictures of Raisi, weeping.

[Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]