Two senior judges killed in armed attack in Tehran

Summary

Supreme Court judges Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini were fatally shot in Tehran on Saturday.
The Judiciary denied reports of a third judge being targeted.
According to Iran's judiciary, the attacker killed himself after opening fire at the judges inside the Supreme Court.
The assailant’s identity is disputed; Fars calls him a staff member, and the Judiciary labels him an infiltrator.

Jan 18, 2025, 21:53 GMT

ANALYSISKilling of judges shows protests no longer confined to streets - analyst

"The killing of the two notorious judges, Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, reflects the people's dissatisfaction with the Islamic Republic, which is no longer controllable," said Iranian political analyst Morad Vaisi.

"What was thought to be protests confined to the streets has now reached the offices of officials," he said Saturday.

"When the Islamic Republic eliminates the possibility of public participation in elections and there are no free elections in Iran, and when it simultaneously deprives people of the right to peaceful street protests, it is natural for anger and dissatisfaction to remain in society and manifest itself in various forms," Vaisi added.

Jan 18, 2025, 20:56 GMT

Former justice minister blames MEK for killing of two judges

"Today, after killing two judges, the assailant attempted to target a third judge but failed. During the attempt, he mentioned the MEK, indicating that it was a targeted, preplanned attempt to seek revenge against the judges," said Iran's former justice minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi.

Pourmohammadi has held several key roles within the state but is widely known to the public for his role on the three-person "Death Committees" established by the Islamic Republic to oversee the purge of political prisoners in the 1980s.

Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, the two judges who were killed by a 31-year-old assailant on Saturday in Tehran, were also involved in the mass executions of dissidents, mainly MEK members, carried out by the Islamic Republic in 1988.

According to Amnesty International, throughout Iran, “predominantly young men and women, including teenagers, who were unjustly imprisoned for their political views and non-violent activities” were gathered from their cells and presented before "death commissions" composed of judicial, prosecutorial, and intelligence authorities.

Jan 18, 2025, 18:12 GMT

Iranians' wrath will engulf all those in power - former political prisoner

Former political prisoner and dissident activist Hossein Ronaghi says the anger of the Iranian people, resulting from decades of oppression, will eventually impact those in power.

"What we are witnessing today is the result of decades of humiliation, death, destruction, and devastation that the Islamic Republic has imposed on Iranians. Surely, the people's anger will engulf all of you," he wrote in a post on his X account in reaction to the assassination of two Supreme Court judges.

A photo of Hossein Ronaghi receiving medical care after release from prison

Jan 18, 2025, 17:41 GMT

Khamenei praises courage of slain judges, calls them martyrs

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a statement on the killing of two Supreme Court judges, referred to Ali Razini as a "dedicated scholar" and Mohammad Moghiseh as a "courageous judge," offering "congratulations on their martyrdom."

"Razini had previously been targeted by adversaries and had endured years of suffering as a war veteran," he said, referring to a 1999 assassination attempt which injured Razini.

Jan 18, 2025, 16:29 GMT

Razini killed in second assassination attempt in 26 years

Ali Razini, one of the two notorious judges who were shot dead in Tehran on Saturday, had earlier been injured in another assassination attempt in January 1999.

Jan 18, 2025, 15:25 GMT

Iran's legislative, executive and judicial branches hold joint meeting

Hours after the deaths of Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, two senior Supreme Court judges, state media reported that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the heads of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, convened for a joint meeting at the Presidential Office. No details about the meeting were disclosed.

From left to right: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

Jan 18, 2025, 15:04 GMT

Former political prisoners react to assassination of supreme court judges

Hossein Ronaghi, a blogger and activist who has spent years in prison for his political views, wrote on X: “What we are witnessing today is the result of decades of humiliation, death, destruction, and devastation imposed on Iranians by the Islamic Republic. Certainly, the people's anger will engulf all of you.”

Hossein Razagh, a political activist and former detainee, commented on X: “While terrorism should not be celebrated, the demise of the agents of oppression deserves a celebration.”

Atena Daemi, a human rights activist and former prisoner known for her opposition to executions and advocacy for political prisoners, shared on X: “I am glad they met their end—not at the hands of those they condemned to death and imprisonment under the pretext of disturbing security, but by their own employees!”

Jan 18, 2025, 15:00 GMT

Iran judiciary chief condemns assassination of senior judges

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, head of Iran's judiciary, expressed his condolences over the deaths of Supreme Court judges Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh.

Ejei praised the two judges for their strict rulings and called them "true believers in the Islamic Revolution" and "dedicated servants of the people." He said their decisive actions against "terrorists and criminals had made them targets of hatred from enemies."

Ejei added that the judges never hesitated to prosecute and punish those who threatened the security of citizens.

Jan 18, 2025, 14:11 GMT

Iranian president condemns attack on senior judges

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the assassination of Supreme Court judges Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, calling it a "cowardly and inhumane terrorist act", and urged security forces to identify and prosecute those responsible swiftly.

"The martyrdom of two prominent judges of our country in this cowardly and inhumane terrorist act has deeply saddened me," Masoud Pezeshkian's statement read on the government's website.

"I strongly urge the security and law enforcement forces to immediately investigate the dimensions and aspects of this reprehensible act and take the necessary steps to identify and bring to justice those responsible," he added.

Jan 18, 2025, 13:35 GMT

Parliament’s judiciary committee investigates deaths of Supreme Court judges

Deputy Chairman of Parliament's Judiciary Committee announced that the committee has launched an investigation into the deaths of Supreme Court judges Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh.

“This is undoubtedly a major loss for the judiciary,” Mohammad Taghi Naghdali said. “These were capable individuals who stood firm against insecurity and threats to the country’s stability, dedicating their lives to the values of Islam and the Islamic Republic.”

Members of the police stand in front of the judiciary building after the assassination of the Supreme Court Judges Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini in Tehran, Iran, January 18, 2025.