An armed assailant fatally shot two notorious Iranian judges inside the Islamic Republic’s supreme court on Saturday.
Judges Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini were known for ordering harsh sentences, including executions, during their decades-long careers. Such judges are known as “judges of death” and “executioners” in Iran.
Iran’s judiciary said a “planned assassination” was carried out by “an armed infiltrator” inside the supreme court building in Tehran, the capital.
“Based on preliminary investigations, the individual in question neither had a case in the supreme court nor was a visitor to its branches,” the judiciary said in a report.
The assailant shot the supreme court judges before “quickly committing suicide”.
Foreign involvement not ruled out
Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, told state television that the assailant was armed with a handgun.
“At around 10 to 10.45 this morning, the assailant entered the offices of two brave and experienced judges of the judiciary inside the supreme court,” he said.
“We don’t know the motive behind the assassination, as the assailant killed himself while fleeing the scene, but we are investigating,” he added.
While no group has claimed responsibility, Iran’s judiciary did not rule out foreign involvement.
“It is worth noting that over the past year, the judiciary has carried out extensive actions to identify, pursue, arrest, and prosecute individuals and elements affiliated with the evil Zionist regime, America’s allies, spies, and terrorist groups.”
The building was evacuated following the shooting.
Directly involved in crimes against humanity
The shooting marks one of the most significant attacks on Iran’s judiciary in recent years.
Both Ayatollahs held high-ranking positions in Iran’s judicial system.
Moghiseh, who faced sanctions from the United States and European Union for human rights violations, had issued more than 1,600 years in combined prison sentences across 335 cases in recent years, according to human rights groups.
He was particularly known for prosecuting political prisoners following Iran’s 2009 presidential election protests.
Razini, who headed Branch 41 of the supreme court, had previously survived a car bombing attempt in 1999.
His career included serving as Tehran’s Revolutionary Prosecutor and holding various high-ranking judicial positions.
He was also involved in trials related to the 1988 mass executions in Iran when thousands of political prisoners were sent to the gallows.
“Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini were directly involved in crimes against humanity and continued their atrocities until the last days of their lives by approving the execution sentences of [the regime] opponents,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Norway-based Iran human rights organisation.
‘We should put explosives in your mouth’
Former Iranian prisoners whose cases were overseen by the judges took to social media to share their experiences following the shooting.
“Judge Moghiseh sentenced me to nine years in prison in a court session that lasted less than nine minutes,” one former prisoner said.
“On the day of the trial, when I came out of his office, I saw two young men in the worst possible condition … I asked the guard why they were tied up like that, with an ugly smile, he replied, ‘Judge Moghiseh has sentenced them to death.’”
Another former prisoner said, “Moghiseh was the judge in my case. He said, ‘We should put explosives in your mouth and blow it up.’”