Two senior judges of the Iranian Supreme Court were killed in Tehran while the third was injured in a "terrorist" attack by an armed attacker on Saturday (Jan 18). Iranian media reported that the attacker shot himself after attacking the judges. The assassinated judges were Mohammad Moghiseh and Hojatoleslam Ali Razini, while the third judge is currently under treatment. As per the news reports in Iran, the attacker was a "staff member" of Iran's fearsome judiciary headquarters. 

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Mizan Online's court website said in a statement, "Three judges of the Supreme Court were targeted. Two of them were martyred and one was injured." 

As per the IRGC-affiliated Fars News, the attacker used a handgun to shoot at the judges. Although the news agency reported that the attacker was responsible for refreshments for other staff members at the court, the Judiciary Media Centre released a different stance on the matter as it called the attacker an "intruder".

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"This morning, an armed infiltrator at the Supreme Court carried out a premeditated assassination targeting two brave and experienced judges renowned for their fight against crimes against national security, espionage, and terrorism," the government body's statement said, IRNA reported. 

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Both the killed judges were reportedly known for their strict judgments, like the death penalty for anti-system elements.

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A paramilitary investigation reported that the attacker neither had a case at the Supreme Court nor was a visitor to any of its branches. 

Just after the attack, authorities quickly apprehended the attacker, but he swiftly shot himself fatally.

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Iran's judiciary spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir, said in a televised statement that "a person armed with a handgun entered the room" of the judges and shot them, AFP reported. 

Judge Moghiseh was sanctioned in 2019 by the United States for allegedly having overseen countless unfair trials. 

In 1998, Razini had survived an assassination attempt when assailants had allegedly planted a magnetic bomb in his vehicle, AFP reported, citing Mizan.

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(With inputs from agencies)