Metransparent exclusive:
Highly placed sources at Iran’s Pasdaran forces have disclosed to Middle East Transparent that that Iran’s Supreme Guide has taken a formal (though, yet, unannounced) decision to replace the present Head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, by Hojatoleslam Sheikh Sadegh Larijani, who teaches at the Qom Seminary Institute. Our sources confirmed that the transfer of power has started, with Hojatoleslam Larijani, aided by a team of advisers, already occupying offices at the Judiciary headquarters.
It is to be noted that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei holds the power to appoint and dismiss the Head of the Judiciary. Hojatoleslam Sheikh Sadegh Larijani is one of the 6 members of the Guardian Council appointed by the Supreme Leader, the 6 others being appointed by the Head of the Judiciary and approved by parliament.
Hojatoleslam Sheikh Sadegh Larijani, 59, was born in Najaf, Iraq. His father was Ayatollah Haj Mirza Hashem Amoli, who was elevated to the rank of a “Mojtahed” [senior ayatollah]by Ayatollah Haeri Yazdi in 1932. Though he was one of the most prominent and well-known Shia clerics of his time, Ayatollah Hashem Amoli always stayed away from politics and busied himself with religious affairs.
Sadegh Larijani started his religious studies at the Qom seminary in 1977, then went on to teach philosophy at the seminary. He is a member of the a conservative group of teachers at Qom’s seminary.
He is known to be one of the most fervent opponents of the “Western Cultural Threat” to Iran’s regime. In this he meets Ayatollha Khamenei worries of a “velvet revolution” that could topple the Mullas regime in Iran.
The new appointment is considered one more step to consolidate the hold of the ailing Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, over the reins of the country. However, it should, also, be noted that this development would put two Larijani brothers at the head of two of Iran’s three authorities.
The other four Larijani brothers are:
– Dr. Ali Larijani, also born in Najaf, who holds a doctorate in Western Philosophy. He served as the head of Iran’s National Security Council and top nuclear negotiator until his election as head of Iran’s parliament;
– Mohammad Javad Larijani, who was born in Najaf, Iraq, and holds a doctorate in Mathematics from University of California, Berkeley. He is the head of the Institute of Pure Sciences.
– Dr. Fazel Larijani, also born in Najaf, currently serving as Iran’s cultural attaché in Ottawa, Canada;
– and Dr. Bagher Larijani, internal physician, who served as deputy minister of health. He is presently the head of the faculty of medical sciences at the Teheran University.