Iranian state media reported that two judges were killed in a shooting on Saturday at the Supreme Court building in Tehran. According to reports, the assailant, who was armed with a handgun, had infiltrated the court in a planned assassination. After killing judges Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghisseh, the gunman took his own life. One other person was wounded in the attack.
Judges Razini, 71 years old, and Moghisseh, 68 years old, were known for their handling of high-profile cases that involved matters concerning national security, espionage, and terrorism. Both had been associated with controversial trials in the past; Moghisseh was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 for managing unfair trials, while Moghisseh narrowly survived an assassination attempt back in 1998.
It remains unclear what motive had driven the shooting, but the attacker is reported not to have any cases before the Supreme Court. Investigation has been conducted on the assault and several people have been identified, summoned or arrested in connection with this attack.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the shooting and urged forces in the security field to quickly probe the attack to find out who carried out the shooting. This incident is rare in terms of attacks on judges, though the country has seen several targeted shootings of prominent figures in recent years, including a Shiite Muslim preacher in October and a cleric in April 2023.
The Iranian judiciary has made a commitment to continue fighting for justice in the murder of the judges and to uphold the safety of its institutions. The assassination has raised further concerns regarding the safety of high-profile officials in the country.
