Reactions to the Deaths of Mogheiseh and Razini: Biased Judgments and Statues of Cruelty

Following the deaths of Mohammad Mogheiseh and Ali Razini, two well-known judges of the Islamic Republic, some political activists, journalists, lawyers, and civil society activists referred to them as 'statues of cruelty' on social media and emphasized their 'biased' judgments in issuing death sentences and long-term imprisonments, especially for political defendants. Shirin Ebadi, head of the Human Rights Defenders Center and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, noted in her Telegram channel that the Islamic Republic 'has already considered them martyrs' and wrote: 'Achieving justice for Mogheiseh, Razini, and all those involved in the crimes of the Islamic Republic requires holding public, transparent, and fair trials, which they have always feared.' She emphasized that 'the deaths of Razini and Mogheiseh have eliminated the opportunity to clarify part of the government's crimes' and added: 'However, the approach taken by the Islamic Republic's judicial system, which has been fueled or directed by the security apparatus, will yield nothing but such events.' Ebadi pointed out that 'we must be more vigilant than ever,' adding: 'The judiciary, which increased pressure on society in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli actions, intensified executions and initiated widespread arrests, may now respond to the removal of these two notorious judges with even harsher actions against prisoners.' Meanwhile, the Iranian Constitutional Party (Liberal Democrat) referred to Mohammad Mogheiseh and Ali Razini as 'two criminals and death judges' on social media, stating they were recognized as 'symbols of repression and injustice.' Additionally, Saeed Ghaseminejad, a senior researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote on social media: 'Look at the efforts to connect the demise of Mogheiseh and Razini to the Mojahedin, from Hosam al-Din, an intelligence acquaintance, to the network of controlled accounts in cyberspace, the security line is clear: downplaying a series of events in which dissidents from the current situation within the government, from veterans to judiciary employees, resort to eliminating regime officials...' Majid Dary, a former student activist and political prisoner, described Mohammad Mogheiseh as: 'Shouting! Insulting! Humiliating! Threatening! He bore the title of judge but appeared completely biased in court, issuing heavy sentences. It was known that he did not know what year it was and issued rulings. It is true that he should have been tried in a court and revealed the untold, but many witnesses remain to testify to his oppression.' Hossein Razagh, a former political prisoner, also wrote about Ali Razini's statements in the case of Abdollah Momeni, a political activist: 'I had no case with Mogheiseh and Razini, but when I was in the same room as Abdollah Momeni, who was seeking leave for his wife's cancer illness, Razini told his lawyer, 'His wife's illness is good! She will die sooner. Abdollah's sentence will end, and he will marry another woman!' Today, the destroyers of young lives have fallen.' Ismail Bakhti, a labor activist and representative of the Independent Labor Council at the Haft Tappeh Workers' Syndicate, wrote that Mohammad Mogheiseh issued 'heavy sentences' for activists and supporters of Haft Tappeh without reading a page of their case. Mahmoud Beheshti Langaroudi, former Secretary-General of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association, wrote about how Mogheiseh issued a five-year prison sentence: 'On the day of the trial, I told him that I do not consider you righteous and will not answer your questions. He issued a five-year prison sentence for me, which was confirmed exactly in the appellate court.' Atena Daemi, a human rights activist and former political prisoner, wrote about her 'ten-minute trial' presided over by Mohammad Mogheiseh, his insults, and the issuance of a 14-year prison sentence at the same time as death sentences for 12 Kurdish political prisoners. Mahdieh Golroo, a political activist, described Mohammad Mogheiseh as 'one of the dirtiest people' she has ever seen and wrote that he enjoyed seeing defendants cry in court and 'would not allow the defendant's handcuffs to be removed.' Reema Shir Mohammad, a human rights activist, wrote about Mogheiseh: 'Seven Sunni prisoners were arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death in a two-minute trial, with statements like these from Mogheiseh: 'You are Kurdish, this is a death sentence. You are Sunni, this is a death sentence, and you are Salafi, this is a death sentence.' Ms. Shir Mohammad pointed out: His words 'showed that there was no evidence against them in the case, and they were acquitted in the presence of any free human being. These seven were condemned to death without the right to a fair trial, which is the right of every prisoner, and despite abundant evidence of their innocence, they were sentenced to death and spent 15 years under a death sentence, ultimately executed during the years 1402 and 1403.' Khatereh Moieni, from the families of the Khavaran seekers of justice, also wrote: 'But the judgment is sitting on the other side of the door, without the ominous robe of judges. Its essence is wisdom and fairness, its time is...' Moloud Hajizadeh, a journalist, wrote on social media: 'We have started many mornings with the news of the execution of the youth of our land, and this morning we started with the news of the demise of two of the murderers of those youths; Mogheiseh and Razini, may such terrifying mornings be upon you.' Hassan Asadi Zaidabadi, a lawyer and former political prisoner, wrote about Mohammad Mogheiseh: 'Nothing was as far from him as justice and fairness.' Mehdi Mousavi, a poet and writer, also wrote: My father's lump in his throat when he told Mogheiseh, 'My son is just a poet... he is a doctor...' Two whole years of psychological torture in revolutionary court sessions and the clarification of charges based on the ruling... all passed before my eyes. Although I was waiting for a fair trial on the day of freedom and testifying about what happened to us.' A user named 'Khosrow' recounted Mogheiseh's insults towards him in the defendant's seat and the conversion of a million-dollar bail to a billion by him: 'Do you have a job? Are you employed? Oh, dirt on our heads for giving jobs to people like you. Why didn't you write about the martyrs that if they weren't there, your honor would not be known whose hands it is? - You are lying, the stench of lies has filled the whole room! - Turn the 300 million bail into one billion...' Milad Pour Eisi, a journalist, wrote: 'Razini and Mogheiseh were statues of cruelty since the 60s, simultaneously murdered in front of the building of the court. The last case under Razini's hand in the court was the case of the blind Mojahed.' Some users also expressed dissatisfaction with the execution of these two judges and their lack of trial and accountability before their deaths. A user named Abbas Dehghan wrote about the death of Mohammad Mogheiseh: 'The killer of so many lives only died once! Once in front of all that.' Meanwhile, Kaveh Ghorishi, a journalist, pointed out that 'the deaths of Mogheiseh and Razini could have worrying repercussions for political prisoners sentenced to death' and added: 'The Iranian government has proven that it can respond to any defeat with greater repression of the people. From today, we must be more concerned than ever about sudden and hasty executions of political prisoners.' Mohammad Mogheiseh and Ali Razini, two well-known judges of the Islamic Republic, who had repeatedly issued death sentences for government opponents during their tenure, were killed on Friday, January 29. The two judges were killed during a recent meeting with Ejei: 'It will be done carefully... we have always been ahead.' Mogheiseh 25 days before his death: 'We, the judges of the Supreme Court, will continue to be the powerful arms of the revolution.' Images of vehicles carrying the bodies of the judges from the Tehran judiciary.