Iran's Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence for Former Assembly of Experts Member's Murder Suspect

The Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran has upheld the death sentence for a prisoner accused of murdering Abbas-Ali Soleimani, a former member of the Assembly of Experts and former representative of Ali Khamenei in Sistan and Baluchestan province. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, reported on Wednesday, November 15, that the 'Qisas' (retribution) sentence for the individual, who allegedly shot and killed Abbas-Ali Soleimani, was confirmed by the Supreme Court. The highest judicial authority in the Islamic Republic rejected the appeal from the defendant's lawyers, confirming the 'Qisas' sentence, which means execution. According to previous reports, Abbas-Ali Soleimani was killed on May 26 by gunfire from an individual said to be a bank guard in Babolsar, Mazandaran province. A video released at the time by the Fars news agency, linked to the IRGC, showed a person with a weapon moving freely in the bank and shooting Soleimani from behind. The political and security deputy of the Mazandaran governor described the act as a 'terror,' while the state news agency IRNA reported that the initial interrogation of the suspect indicated it was due to a 'personal dispute.' Meanwhile, two weeks after the killing of this former government official, the body of the son of the founder of the Mazandaran seminary was found on the shores of Juybar. However, the seminary issued a statement denying any 'assassination' attempt against the cleric, stating that he had 'drowned.' The killing of clerics in recent months has repeatedly made headlines in Iran. For instance, at the end of September this year, the head of a seminary in Zanjan province was killed by 'two bullets to the head,' with the assailant identified as a 'dismissed employee of one of the agencies.' Following the increase in physical confrontations with Shia clerics in recent months, some government figures have attributed this to 'enemies,' while others have linked it to the behavior of the regime itself. Previously, Ali Fallahian, a former Minister of Intelligence, stated, 'I told the Friday prayer leaders that neglecting security is very dangerous, and now after this incident, I suggest that Friday prayer leaders learn self-defense and understand that the enemy does not neglect.'