Shooter committed suicide after opening fire outside court

The Narional

Two Iranian Supreme Court judges were shot dead in an attack in Tehran on Saturday, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.

The shooter opened fire on the judges outside the Supreme Court building before fleeing. He committed suicide soon after. One of the judge's bodyguards was also wounded, Iranian media reported.

The motive behind Saturday's attack remains unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility.

The judiciary identified the slain judges as Ali Razini, head of Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, and Mohammad Moghiseh, head of Branch 53. They were described as "brave judges with long histories of fighting crimes against national security, spies, and terrorism".

Judge Mohammad Moghiseh headed Branch 53 of the Iran's Supreme Court, the judiciary said. Photo: IRNA

Initial investigations found that the attacker was not involved in any case at the Supreme Court and was not a client of the court's branches, according to Mizan.

The judiciary's media centre issued a statement saying false and fabricated information about the incident was being spread on social media, emphasising that the only credible reports were those issued by the judiciary.

Over the past year, the Iranian judiciary claims to have taken extensive measures to identify, prosecute, arrest, and try individuals affiliated with what they describe as the "evil Zionist regime", US allies, spies, and terrorist groups. It suggested the attacks could have been motivated by the two judges' anti-western stances.

Judge Ali Razini, who headed Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, survived an aasassination attempt in 1998. Photo: Hamed Jafarnejad / Wikidata

The judiciary vowed to investigate the attack and bring those responsible to justice, while also suggesting that foreign elements may be involved.

Judge Razini survived an assassination attempt in December 1998 when a bomb planted in his vehicle was detonated when he was leaving work.

He was wounded in that attack. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visited him in the hospital at the time.