Butcher of the Press Fired

Iran’s new judiciary chief, Sadegh Larijani, fired Saeed Mortazavi, prosecutor general of Tehran’s trial and revolutionary courts.  In the aftermath of the removal of this notorious judge, who is also known as the “butcher of the press” in Iran, the public is wondering whether his crimes will be investigated or whether he will simply move from the prosecutor general’s office to another office.

The closure of hundreds of newspapers and journals, detention of large numbers of journalists, trials indicting public opinion pollsters, cinema critics, bloggers, Abbas Palizdar, political and civil society activists, the murder of Zahra Kazemi and the case of rape in Yazd are only among the handful of items on the resume of Saeed Mortazavi, a man who was recognized by the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader as an “active Hezbollahi” [belonging to the party of God] and by the Ahmadinejad administration as an “inspirational manager.” 

Shahroudi Unable to Fire Mortazavi

Prior to the appointment of Sadegh Larijani, rumors in journalistic and political circles pointed to the removal of Judge Mortazavi, but few people expected it to become reality, perhaps because of Ayatollah Shahroudi’s inability, despite his personal preference, to dismiss the notorious judge.  Certain accounts claimed that Mortazavi has a special relationship with and the unconditional backing of the Supreme Leader.  Shahroudi has declared in private gatherings that he is in charge of the entire judiciary except for matters under Saeed Mortazavi’s control.

Butcher of the Press

The 42-year-old Saeed Mortazavi, who gained international fame for his massive crackdown on the press and prosecution of dozens of journalists, is a familiar and despised name in Iranian human rights circles. 

Mortazavi was appointed to be a judge at branch 1410 of the press court at the age of 28, while he was under investigation for ethical abuse, because of his connections with the son of the then-judiciary chief, Mohammad Yazdi.  During his six-year tenure as the press court judge, Mortazavi shut down 76 publications and prosecuted 37 journalists and reporters.

Zahra Kazemi’s Murder

One of Mortazavi’s victims was Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian-Iranian journalist who was arrested on Mortazavi’s orders and was murdered in the Evin Prison.  Following her death, Mortazavi summoned the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s press secretary – without informing the minister – and orders him to announce brain stroke as the cause of death.  According to Zahra Kazemi’s family, the prosecutor’s office insisted on her quick burial. 

At the time, Lu Monde reporter Jean Pierre Perrin claimed that Zahra Kazemi was killed when Mortazavi struck her in the head with his boots.

Post-June 12 Election Coup

The public and human rights activists were seriously concerned after Mortazavi was selected to prosecute the people arrested during post-election protests. 

Noting that Saeed Mortazavi has a history of “torturing and extracting forced confessions” from prisoners, Human Rights Watch declared, “His appointment indicates that the authorities are preparing themselves to indict the opposition on fabricated charges.”