Reactions to the Killing of Razini and Mogheiseh; From Khamenei's Praise to Bitter Memories of Plaintiffs

The spokesperson for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic stated that investigations into the killings of Ali Razini and Mohammad Mogheiseh, two judges of the Supreme Court, have begun; meanwhile, reactions to the murder of these two judges continue. Asghar Jahangir, the spokesperson for the judiciary, said on the evening of Friday, January 29, that 'an armed individual with a pistol' entered the room of these two judges and killed them, and 'one of the chief's bodyguards was also injured.' He did not provide details but mentioned that investigations 'to identify and arrest those connected to this incident have begun.' The spokesperson also stated that the perpetrator of this attack 'committed suicide while fleeing' after leaving the branch. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, referred to Mohammad Mogheiseh as a 'brave judge' and to Ali Razini as a 'struggling scholar' in his message. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, also emphasized that the path and way of these two judges 'will continue with strength.' Meanwhile, many families of plaintiffs, former political prisoners, human rights activists, and social media users have referenced the human rights records of these two judges or shared personal experiences. Mahmoud Beheshti Langaroudi, a teachers' union activist, mentioned his encounter with Mohammad Mogheiseh in court, stating that he told him he did not consider him righteous and would not answer his questions; Mogheiseh sentenced him to five years of imprisonment. Atena Daemi and Ismail Salmanpour, former political prisoners, have also shared their personal experiences with these two judges and the rulings they issued. Marzieh Vafamehr, a filmmaker and actress, wrote on her Instagram about Judge Mogheiseh, stating that he assumed she was guilty from the very first moment through intimidation. Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, warned on Instagram that 'whoever sows the wind will reap the whirlwind,' indicating that the judiciary 'may respond with greater severity against prisoners in reaction to the removal of these two notorious judges.' Abbas Shandizadeh, brother of political prisoner Hossein Shandizadeh, wrote on social media that his mother asked Mogheiseh to allow her to attend the court session, to which he responded by burdening his elderly mother as much as he could and said to close the door. Political activist Hossein Ronaghi, women's rights activist Mojgan Keshavarz, poet and former political prisoner Mehdi Mousavi, and former political prisoner Mahdieh Golroo were among others who recalled their bitter memories of encounters with Judge Razini or Judge Mogheiseh. Some activists and social media users emphasized the need to avoid violence and reminded that the cycle of violence should not be exacerbated. Conversely, some citizens stated that the emergence of violence is a result of the government, which has blocked all paths.