Judiciary Chief Threatens Domestic Proponents of US-Instigated Regime Change With Death Penalty

The chief of Iran’s judiciary has responded to recent comments by the US secretary of state describing the Trump administration’s policy of regime change in Iran by threatening domestic proponents with the death penalty.

“Unfortunately, there are some people inside the country who are showing the green light to enemies and sending certain signals to entice them,” said Sadegh Larijani on June 19, 2017.

“These people are either ‘enemy combatants’ or ‘corrupt on earth,’” he added, citing charges that are punishable by death according to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code.  

The country’s top judicial official was responding to comments made by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a televised hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 15, 2017.

“Our policy towards Iran is to push back on this hegemony, contain their ability to develop obviously nuclear weapons, and to work toward support of those elements inside of Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of that government,” said Tillerson.

“Those elements are there, certainly as we know,” he added.

Larijani dismissed the US official’s comments as “outside diplomatic norms and insulting.”

“The security forces, especially the Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guard, should vigilantly pursue and uncover these activities,” said Larijani, without providing any information about the alleged “activities” he cited.

“The judiciary will also deal with them without fearing all the hoopla on human rights,” he added. 

Continued Larijani: “After recent events, the threat of enemy infiltration has increased and all the relevant agencies should monitor all aspects of the situation.”

On June 7, terrorist attacks carried out by members of the group that calls itself the Islamic State, referred to as Daesh in Iran, killed at least 17 people and injured dozens in Tehran.

Iran’s security forces responded by arresting dozens of people around the country with alleged ties to extremist Sunni groups.