Some Iranian Reformists welcome new hard-line judiciary chief

After 10 years as head of one of the most important, and repressive, institutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani will step down as chief of the judiciary and be replaced by Ebrahim Raisi. Larijani will join other recent government semi-retirees as a member of the Expediency Council, an institution designed to resolve differences between the parliament and the Guardian Council. Raisi will take the helm at a time when his history, concurrent posts and support from Reformists are in question.

Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hussein Mohseni Ejei confirmed Raisi’s appointment March 3 during a press conference. This confirmation that Raisi had been appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was followed by comments from Yayha Kamalipour, a member of parliament’s judiciary commission, who said Raisi will take over March 8.

Raisi first entered the national stage in 2016 when Khamenei appointed him as custodian of Astan-e Quds Razavi, one of the wealthiest endowments in Iran, which operates the Imam Reza Shrine and a vast amount of surrounding property in the northeastern city of Mashhad. The previous custodian, Ayatollah Abbas Vaez-Tabasi, had held the position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution until his death in 2016. 

Shortly after the appointment as custodian of Astan-e Quds Razavi, Raisi decided to run against President Hassan Rouhani, who was seeking a second term in the 2017 presidential race. Raisi received favorable coverage from conservative media, with some even elevating his clerical position from hojat-al Islam to the more senior ayatollah. Though the conservative candidate lacked charisma and even made political missteps such as seeking the endorsement of popular tattooed Iranian rapper Amir Tattalou, Raisi still garnered nearly 16 million votes to Rouhani’s 23.6 million.