Sat Jan 18 14:49:12 UTC 2025: ## Iranian Judges Fatally Shot in Tehran Attack
**DUBAI, UAE –** Two prominent Iranian hard-line judges, Mohammad Mogheiseh and Ali Razini, were fatally shot on Saturday at the Palace of Justice in Tehran, Iranian officials confirmed. The attack, which also wounded a bodyguard, is a rare instance of violence targeting the Iranian judiciary. The gunman, armed with a handgun, subsequently killed himself.
Both judges were allegedly involved in the mass execution of dissidents in 1988, a period of intense political repression. Razini, who had survived a previous assassination attempt in 1999, had publicly defended his role in the executions. Mogheiseh had been under US Treasury sanctions since 2019 for his alleged involvement in unfair trials and sentencing of journalists and internet users.
While no group immediately claimed responsibility, the killings occurred amidst a backdrop of significant challenges facing Iran: economic turmoil, setbacks for its Mideast allies at the hands of Israel, and the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Iranian authorities are investigating the incident, stating that the attacker was an “infiltrator” with no known connection to the court.
The 1988 executions, estimated by international rights groups to have claimed the lives of as many as 5,000 people (with some estimates reaching 30,000), remain a highly sensitive issue. The executions followed a surprise attack by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) group, an exiled Iranian opposition group. Iran has never fully acknowledged its role in these events. The MEK declined to comment on the attack.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions and political instability within Iran, particularly regarding its human rights record and its past actions. The investigation is ongoing.
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