U.S. State Department: Ibrahim Raisi's Appointment as Head of Judiciary is Shameful

The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State referred to Ibrahim Raisi's membership in the decision-making committee regarding the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, calling his potential appointment as head of Iran's judiciary "shameful." Robert Palladino emphasized on Tuesday, March 5, that the Islamic Republic "ridicules the legal process by creating unfair trials and inhumane prison conditions." He stressed that the people of Iran deserve a better situation. According to Iranian news sources, Ibrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi, is set to replace Sadegh Larijani as head of the judiciary. Raisi, who is subject to European Union sanctions, was a member of a three-person committee that decided on the execution of political prisoners in 1988. The Iran Human Rights Campaign stated on March 1 in response to reports about Raisi's potential appointment that even mentioning his name as a candidate for this position is "a catastrophe for the rule of law and justice in Iran." Hadi Ghaemi, the director of this campaign, emphasized that Raisi should be "prosecuted, not appointed as the head of the judiciary." Ibrahim Raisi, 57, was born in Mashhad. He began his career as a deputy prosecutor in Karaj County at the age of 20 and was later appointed as the prosecutor of the city. He has also held positions as the prosecutor of Tehran and head of the General Inspection Organization. Raisi served as the first deputy of the judiciary for ten years from 2004 to 2014 and was the attorney general from 2014 to 2015 before being appointed as the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi by the Supreme Leader after the death of Nasser Vaez Tabasi. He has also been appointed as the special prosecutor for the clergy since 2012 by the Supreme Leader. Despite holding judicial positions, Raisi has been a member of the conservative "Combatant Clergy Association" since 1997. According to Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the judiciary spokesperson, Ibrahim Raisi is set to succeed Sadegh Amoli Larijani, who has been the head of the judiciary since August 2009 and was appointed to the Expediency Discernment Council in January of this year.