An Iranian judge was killed in what the authorities call a terrorist attack in the southern city of Shiraz, state media reported on Tuesday.
The victim, Ehsan Bagheri, 38, was attacked by two unidentified assailants brandishing a “cold weapon” – generally referring to a conducting knife or instrument – while he was on the way to work in the morning, according to the Irna news agency. Officials did not disclose the exact type of weapon used.
Bagheri was head of branch 102 of the Shiraz 2 criminal court, according to the report.
Seyed Sadrollah Rajaee-Nasab, the head of the provincial ministry for justice, confirmed the murder and said that an investigation was underway. The head of Iranian judicial power, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, ordered a national manhunt to find the officials.
The attack follows a separate incident in January during which two eminent judges, Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, were fatally slaughtered in their offices in Tehran – an act which also shocked the judicial community and raised concerns about the targeted violence against legal officials.
The authorities have not yet linked the incidents, but the two have sparked calls for improved security measures for legal personalities across the country.
