A member of the UN security staff detained Israel’s ambassador to the UN on Tuesday following his protest of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s speech.

Although he was later released, it was unclear why he had been detained.

His detention was described as ‘unacceptable’ by the ambassador.

As he stormed out of the General Assembly Hall, Gilad Erdan held up a picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who was murdered last year for not wearing her hijab properly by Iran’s so-called morality police. As a result of Amini’s murder, waves of protest swept across the Islamic Republic, which were met with brutal repression.

It is utterly disgraceful to be detained for standing with the Iranian people and protesting a vile mass murderer who was given international attention. It is another example of the strong bias Israel suffers at the U.N. In recent sessions on the war in Ukraine, other ambassadors have previously held signs based on ideological reasons without repercussions. “I will always defend what is right and just and never be intimidated.”

There was a caption accompanying Erdan’s photo of Amini that read: “Iranian women deserve freedom now!”

A protest outside the hall sparked by Raisi’s presence at the United Nations General Assembly attracted protesters.

As Erdan left the General Assembly Hall with the Israeli delegation, he said the United Nations “reach a new low” by featuring Raisi, whom he referred to as a “vile murderer.”