Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, Linked to 1988 Mass Executions, Assassinated in Tehran

Jan 19, 2025, 02:21 PM

Two senior Iranian Supreme Court judges, Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, were fatally shot in their offices in Tehran on Saturday morning. The assailant, a 31-year-old janitor with a decade of service at the judiciary, entered the judges' office at branch 39 at 10:30 a.m. and killed them with six consecutive shots before fleeing to the third floor where he committed suicide with a self-inflicted shot. The entire attack lasted 13 seconds. A third judge and a bodyguard were injured in the attack. The incident has sparked a significant investigation, with some individuals already detained in connection with the case. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, though it has been suggested that the assailant might have been linked to the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK). Both judges were notorious for their roles in the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988, and their deaths have reignited discussions about their human rights abuses. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led funeral prayers for the judges, praising their contributions and describing their deaths as martyrdom.