2 Iranian Supreme Court judges killed by gunman in Tehran: report

Two Iranian Supreme Court judges known for handling terrorism and espionage cases were killed in a shooting at the Tehran Supreme Court, as reported by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary.

The judges, Mohammad Moghiseh, 68, and Ali Razini, 71, were shot dead inside the Supreme Court, with a bodyguard for one of the judges also being injured in the attack, according to the judiciary.

The gunman then took his own life while trying to escape the scene, as per Mizan, the judiciary’s news outlet.

No specific motive has been determined, but judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated on state TV that the judges were known for handling “national security cases, including espionage and terrorism.”

“In the past year, the judiciary has made significant efforts to uncover spies and terrorist groups, which has angered and provoked resentment among adversaries,” Jahangir explained.

State television mentioned, without further details, that many cases were linked to individuals with connections to Israel and Iranian opposition groups supported by the United States.

Both judges were believed to have been involved in the 1988 mass executions of dissidents, according to activists and exiles.

Razini had previously survived an assassination attempt in 1998 while serving as the head of the judiciary in Tehran.

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