Iran names judiciary chief to replace Raisi

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader on Thursday named former intelligence and security minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei as head of the judiciary, replacing Ebrahim Raisi after he was elected president earlier this month.

Ayatollah Khamenei urged Mohseni-Ejei, a senior cleric with a long history in the judiciary, to fight corruption "with determination". Born in 1956, Mohseni-Ejei holds the rank of Hodjatalislam, one rung below Ayatollah in the clerical hierarchy.

"With your legal powers and your valuable expertise, as well as the deep knowledge and shining precedents in judicial matters, I appoint you as head of the judiciary authority," Khamenei told Mohseni-Ejei, in a message published on his website.