2 Supreme Court judges gunned down in Iran

Two prominent Iranian judges were fatally shot in what authorities are calling a targeted assassination at the supreme court in Tehran on Saturday morning.

The victims, Ali Razini, 71, and Mohammad Moghiseh, 68, were attacked by a gunman who entered the court premises. According to the judiciary’s news agency, Mizan, the assailant took his own life while attempting to flee the scene. A bodyguard was also injured during the incident.

While the motive behind the attack remains unclear, both judges had long histories of involvement in the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on government opposition dating back to the 1980s.

In a statement, the judiciary’s media office characterized the incident as a “premeditated assassination.”

Officials have also stated that preliminary investigations indicate the attacker was not connected to any case heard by the supreme court. Authorities are now exploring the possibility of other individuals being involved in the planning of the attack.

Razini, who had been one of Iran’s highest-ranking judges, survived a previous assassination attempt in 1998. Moghiseh, meanwhile, was sanctioned by the European Union, the United States, and Canada for alleged human rights violations.

Both men had decades-long careers in the judiciary, where their duties included confirming death sentences.

Investigations into the attack are ongoing.