The Iranian judiciary has dismissed 60 judges since early May in an anti-corruption drive launched by Ebrahim Raisi, the recently appointed conservative chief justice. During a presser in Tehran, Raisi's first deputy, Gholam-Hossein Ejei, announced that the sacked judges came from a wide range of ranks in the judiciary. An unspecified number of those fired have also been barred from any future appointment in the wider public service. According to Ejei, the clampdown was part of an "intensified" campaign against "law-breaking judges."

The in-house cleanup started immediately after the new judiciary chief was sworn in March 3, following his appointment by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose decision won applause not only from Raisi's fellow conservatives, but also from a vast section of Iran's Reform movement, including outspoken parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi. A lawyer himself, Sadeghi is known for his ferocious attacks on nepotism and injustice in the judicial system. To him and many others, Raisi's advent revived hopes about an overhaul in a system grappling with deep-rooted fraud.