Two Iranian Supreme Court judges were shot dead in Tehran on Saturday, and a third judge was injured in the attack, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news website. The incident occurred outside the Supreme Court, where the attacker opened fire before taking his own life.
In addition to the judges, a bodyguard of one of the victims was also reported to have been wounded. The motive behind the attack remains unclear at this time.
The judiciary identified the slain judges as Ayatollahs Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini. Moghiseh had previously been associated with the trials of individuals whom opposition websites have described as political prisoners.
The judiciary has identified the two Supreme Court judges killed in Tehran as Ayatollahs Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini. Both judges were involved in high-profile cases related to national security, espionage, and terrorism.
While the motive behind their killings remains unclear, Mizan news reported that the attacker was not linked to any active cases before the Supreme Court. Further details regarding the assailant’s identity have not been provided. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Razini, aged 71, had held several key positions in Iran’s judiciary and was previously the target of an assassination attempt in 1998. During that attack, assailants planted a magnetic bomb in his vehicle, according to Mizan.
Although attacks targeting judges are rare in Iran, the country has witnessed several shootings targeting prominent figures in recent years. In October, a Muslim preacher was killed in Kazeroun after leading Friday prayers. In April 2023, Abbas Ali Soleimani, a powerful cleric, was shot dead in a bank in Mazandaran province. Additionally, in August 2005, renowned Iranian judge Hassan Moghaddas was assassinated by two gunmen in a busy district of Tehran. Two men convicted for Moghaddas’ murder were publicly executed by hanging two years later.
