Hard-Line Cleric Named Iran's Judiciary Chief

Source: Washington Post

Iran's supreme leader appointed a hard-line cleric as the country's new judiciary chief at the end of his predecessor's term, state television reported Saturday. Sadeq Larijani's appointment does not appear to be related to the turmoil that has wracked Iran after the disputed June presidential election. But the new judiciary chief will face an early test in determining how to respond to allegations that opposition protesters detained after the election were tortured to death.

Both reformists and conservatives have criticized the prisoner abuse and have called for those responsible to be punished. The anger on both sides of the political spectrum has intensified pressure on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who reformists accuse of stealing the recent election with widespread fraud.

A key part of the government's strategy to deflect criticism of its response to the postelection unrest has been a high-profile trial of about 100 reformist politicians and activists accused of attempting to overthrow Iran's Islamic system.

Larijani, who has been appointed to an initial five-year term, will take responsibility for the trials. The opposition has called them sham; the government has attempted to paint those on trial as agents of the country's foreign enemies.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/15/AR2009081502779.html?hpid=sec-world

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The show trials and forced confessions begin. Very Stalinistic.

It reads like an editorial.