Iranian state media reported that two judges were killed in a shooting at the Supreme Court building in Tehran on Saturday.
“This morning, a gunman entered the Supreme Court and planned to assassinate two brave and experienced judges. Both judges were martyred in this act,” the judiciary's website Mizan said.・Online” reported.
Mizan said the assailant committed suicide after an act of “terrorism”. State news agency IRNA said one other person was injured.
Mizan identified the two slain judges as Ali Ragini and Mohammad Moghiseh, both of whom handled cases “combatting crimes against national security, espionage and terrorism.” It is said that he was doing so.
Justice Department spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on state television that “an individual with a handgun entered the chambers of two judges” and shot them dead.
He did not provide further details, but added that “individuals have been identified and cited or arrested in connection with the incident.”
The motive behind the killing was not immediately clear, but Mizan said the perpetrators were not involved in any case before the Supreme Court.
Authorities said an investigation into the attack was ongoing.
President Massoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences for the dead and called on authorities to take swift action.
“I urge the security forces and law enforcement forces to take the necessary steps as soon as possible by investigating the scale and angle of this reprehensible act and identifying the perpetrators,” he said.
Moghise, 68, was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 for “overseeing countless unfair trials in which charges were unsubstantiated and evidence was ignored,” according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Mizan said Rajini, 71, has held several important positions in Iran's judiciary and was the target of an assassination attempt in 1998 by assailants who “planted magnetic bombs in his car.” Sometimes.
Attacks targeting judges are rare, but Iran has seen a number of shooting incidents targeting VIPs in recent years.
In October, a Shiite Muslim preacher was shot dead after leading Friday prayers in the southern city of Kazerun.
In April 2023, a powerful cleric identified as Abbas Ali Soleimani was shot dead at a bank in the northern province of Mazandaran.
