Cartoon by Behnam Mohammadi, Behtoons

Former Prisoners Recall Brutality of Iran's Killed Judges

IranWire: Former Iranian prisoners have begun sharing their experiences of having their cases overseen by two notorious judges who were killed on Saturday in Tehran.

Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, former torturers at Evin Prison and high-ranking judges responsible for sentencing thousands of prisoners, were shot dead on Saturday morning.

The assassination of the senior Islamic Republic judges sparked a wave of reactions on social media, particularly from political activists and former prisoners they had sentenced.

Mahdieh Golroo, a political activist and former prisoner, wrote on her X account, "After hearing the news of Mohammad Moghiseh’s death, I remembered how, in a two-minute court session, he told my husband, ‘You’re married to her? That’s a crime in itself ... you’re going to prison to learn how to control your wife.'"

Masoud Kazemi, a journalist, said, "Moghiseh was the judge in my case. He once said, ‘We should put gunpowder in your mouth and blow it up.'"

Moghiseh was a notorious human rights violator in Iran. As a judge in the Islamic Revolutionary Court, he issued many death sentences, long prison terms, and oversaw the abuse of detainees and their families. His actions placed him on the European Union and United States sanctions lists.

He presided over the trials of many political prisoners who supported the Green Movement and were arrested after protesting the results of the 2009 presidential elections.

Mahmoud Beheshti Langeroudi, a teachers' union activist, recalled his courtroom encounter with Moghiseh.

He said, "In court, I told him, ‘I do not recognize you as a legitimate judge and will not answer your questions.'"

In response, Moghiseh sentenced Langeroudi to five years in prison, a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court.

Moghiseh also issued harsh verdicts against members of religious minorities in Iran.

Iqan Shahidi, a former Baha'i prisoner, said, "July 28, 2011: Moghiseh said, 'Are you a Baha’i?' I said, 'That has nothing to do with my charges.' He said, 'I’m asking personally, are you a Baha’i?' I said, 'Yes.' He replied, ‘That’s enough for me to sentence you to five years.' I asked, 'Is being a Baha’i a crime?' He said, 'Baha’is are spies.' I said, 'All of them?' He said, 'Yes.' I asked, 'Even my one-year-old niece?’ After pausing, he said, 'Yes.'”

Shahidi added, "I said, 'Maybe one or two Baha’is could be spies, but how can an entire community of 300,000 people all be spies?' He said, 'They are.' I said, 'Then why don’t you arrest all of them?' He said, 'We will.' I said, 'If these spies convert to Islam, are they no longer spies?' He said, 'Shut up.'”

Mehdi Mousavi, a poet and songwriter who was forced to flee Iran due to a prison sentence, said, "Two years of psychological torture during court sessions and fabricated accusations flashed before my eyes."

Both Razini and Moghiseh were influential and controversial figures in Iran’s judiciary.

Their careers were marked by key roles in suppressing dissent and issuing severe sentences, including executions.