Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i | |
|---|---|
غلامحسین محسنی اژهای | |
.jpg) Mohseni-Eje'i in 2023 | |
| Chief Justice of Iran | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Ali Khamenei |
| Preceded by | Ebrahim Raisi |
| First Deputy to the Chief Justice of Iran | |
| In office 23 August 2014 – 1 July 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Sadeq Larijani |
| Preceded by | Ebrahim Raisi |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Mosaddegh Kahnamouei |
| Spokesman ofJudicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran | |
| In office 16 September 2010[3] – 8 April 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Sadeq Larijani |
| Preceded by | Alireza Jamshidi |
| Succeeded by | Gholam-Hossein Esmaeili |
| Prosecutor-General of Iran | |
| In office 24 August 2009 – 23 August 2014 | |
| Appointed by | Sadeq Larijani |
| Preceded by | Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi |
| Succeeded by | Ebrahim Raisi |
| 6thMinister of Intelligence | |
| In office 24 August 2005 – 23 July 2009 | |
| President | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| Preceded by | Ali Younesi |
| Succeeded by | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(Acting)[4] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1956-09-29)29 September 1956 (age 69) |
| Alma mater | Haghani Seminary |
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i (Persian:غلامحسین محسنی اژهای,romanized: Ğolām-Hoseyn Mohseni Eže'i,Persian pronunciation:[ɢolɒːmhoˈsejnmohseˈniːeʒeˈjiː]; born 29 September 1956) is an Iranianconservative politician,Islamic jurist and former prosecutor who currently serves asChief Justice of Iran.
He was theIranian minister of intelligence from 2005 to July 2009, when he was abruptly dismissed. He also held a number of other governmental posts since 1984.
Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i was born inEzhiyeh,Isfahan,Imperial State of Iran, in 1956.[5] He is a graduate ofthe Haqqani school inQom[6] and one of his teachers wasMesbah Yazdi.[7][8] He also received a master's degree in international law from the Haqqani school.[9]
Mohseni-Eje'i served as Head of theIranian Ministry of Intelligence's Select Committee from 1984 to 1985. He was then Representative of theIranian Head of Judiciary to the Ministry of Intelligence (1986–88). From 1989 to 1990, he served as Head of the Prosecutor's Office for economic affairs. Next, he held the post of Representative of the Head of Judiciary to the Ministry of Intelligence, from 1991 to 1994. His next post was Prosecutor of theSpecial Clerical Court, which he held from 1995 to 1997. He was appointedIranian Minister of Intelligence on 24 August 2005 after securing 217 votes in his favor at theMajlis of Iran.[10]
He was in office until 26 July 2009, when he was abruptly dismissed.[7] No reason was given for his dismissal.[11] It was thought by some to be connected to his opposition to the appointment ofEsfandiar Rahim Mashaei as first vice-president.[7]
As a spokesman for the judiciary, he has also been a spokesman to the media and journalists.[12]
Shortly after his dismissal, on 24 August 2009, he was appointedProsecutor-General of Iran by the Head of Judiciary,AyatollahSadeq Larijani,[13][14] replacingGhorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi.[14]
In 1998, with the ruling of Seyyed Ali Khamenei, [15] he succeededMohammad Reyshahri, who held the position of Attorney General of theSpecial Clerical Court. He has also been the Special Prosecutor for the Clergy for two years.
One notable incident during his tenure at Special Clergy court was him having a fight withIsa Saharkhiz, and biting him.[16]
Mohseni Ejei has taught in the Baqer al-Uloom College of the Ministry of Intelligence, in the educational department of theIslamic Revolutionary Court, as well as the Faculty of Judicial Sciences.[17]
In 2000, Eje'i was named by journalistAkbar Ganji as having personally ordered the killing ofPirouz Davani, one of the 80+ Iranian intellectuals murdered in theChain murders of Iran.[18]
On 15 July 2009, Mohseni-Eje'i told reporters that his ministry might publicize confessions made by people held for weeks without access to their lawyers. He said, "The confessions obtained from those arrested could be made public, should the Judiciary decide to air their remarks."Human rights activists raised concerns that "these so-called confessions are obtained under duress."[19]
After his dismissal, presidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad praised Mohsen-Eje'i as a good human being, but said his removal was necessary as the ministry needed huge changes to cope with the situation. He further said if the ministry had done its job properly, there would not have been post-election bloody riots in which some people died, but he stopped short of criticizing Mohseni-Eje'i as responsible for them.[20]
According toStratfor, Mohseni-Eje'i is a conservative hardliner affiliated with hardline clericMohammad Yazdi.[21]
Mohsen-Eje'i has indicated he would welcome alternative punishments to the death penalty for some drug traffickers, if these alternatives proposed by teachers were more effective punishments than the death penalty. However, he stated that, so far, critics of thedeath penalty in Iran have not offered alternatives that would deal effectively with Iran's drug gangs.[22]
Mohseni-Eje'i was among several Iranian officials who were sanctioned in 2011 by theUnited States Department of State and theEuropean Union for his role in suppressing the2009 Iranian presidential election protests.[23]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Intelligence 2005–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Prosecutor-General of Iran 2009–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Ebrahim Raisi | Chief Justice of Iran 2021–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
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a Acting | ||
