A MEMBER of Iran’s infamous “Death Committee” will be appointed as Chief Justice this week.
Wed, Mar 6, 2019 – Express – By BILL MCLOUGHLIN
Ebrahim Raisi was involved in the reported execution of thousands of political prisoners during the 1980s under the country’s first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. Raisi is a trusted confidante of current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and will be appointed to the position later this week as he becomes one of the most powerful member’s of the Iranian regime. The “Death Committee” was formed by Khomeini in order to eliminate all political prisoners who still supported the opposition party at the time, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.
A reformist member of parliament, Mahmoud Sadeghi said: “Many judges of the judiciary are optimistic about the imminent changes to the Chief Justice.”
Mr Sadeghi also added that he hoped that the office would once again “recover its necessary place in fighting corruption”.
During his long judicial career, Raisi was responsible for sending thousands of prisoners to the gallows in 1988.
Some estimates state that the commission handed out 30,000 death sentences during a five-month period.
But these estimates are vastly disputed, with Amnesty International claiming in a recent report the number is closer to 4,500.
More recently, Raisi had run against Khamenei during the 2016 election and despite losing out to the current supreme leader, he has become a trusted figure in his government.
He is the current custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi which is the wealthiest charity foundation in charges of Iran’s most protected spine, Mashhad.
Moreover, the new Chief Justice has also been tipped to be Khamenei’s future successor.
Outside of the country’s domestic politics, tensions between Iran and the US have begun to rise over the last few months.
The US has deployed its most advanced air and missile defence system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to Israel as Donald Trump flexes his military muscle in the region.
They stated that the move was intended “as a demonstration of the United States’ continued commitment to Israel’s regional security”.
Trump also pulled the US out of its nuclear treaty with Iran earlier this year while also withdrawing from the 2015 international nuclear accord.
The 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was intended to curb Iran’s nuclear energy programme, which the West maintained was a front to create a nuclear bomb.
But Trump withdrew from the deal, calling it “decaying” and “rotten”.
The President also has imposed sanctions on Tehran in a move aimed at stalling the country’s nuclear capabilities.
