Two Supreme Court Justices Assassinated in Iran

Tragedy strikes in Iran as two Supreme Court justices are assassinated, raising concerns about the country’s judicial security and political unrest.

According to IRNA News, two justices from the Iranian Supreme Court were assassinated by an unidentified attacker in Tehran. The judiciary’s media center reported that the assailant allegedly took his own life at the scene following a failed arrest attempt on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Hojjat al-Islam Razini and Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Moqisseh, both of whom served as presiding judges in separate court branches. According to a statement from the judiciary, these two judges played significant roles in addressing crimes against national security and were described as “brave and experienced.”

The judiciary’s media center reported that the attack was a “planned act.” They added that initial evidence suggests the assassin “had no case in the Supreme Court and was not a client of any court branches.” Officials stated, “Immediately following the terrorist incident, there was an attempt to arrest the gunman; however, he quickly took his own life,” while noting that an investigation is currently in progress.

Although Iranian officials did not directly blame any specific party, they emphasized that “over the past year, significant actions have been undertaken by the judiciary to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals associated with the notorious Zionist regime as well as US agents, spies, and terrorist groups.”

In 1998, Razini was targeted in an assassination attempt when attackers on motorcycles affixed a magnetic bomb to his vehicle, resulting in injuries for the judge. At that time, he was presiding over the Tehran judiciary.

The two judges were reportedly implicated in a purported crackdown on dissenters in 1988, following the lengthy Iran-Iraq war. During this period, Iranian authorities primarily targeted the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), which had launched an invasion into the country with a force of 7,000 troops supported by Iraq.

The MEK, which promotes a blend of Islamic principles and revolutionary Marxism, has been situated in Albania for several decades. Iranian officials allege that the group’s fighters have been responsible for the deaths of over 12,000 civilians since the Islamic revolution in 1979.