Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i

Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i () was born in Ezhiyeh, Isfahan province, Imperial State of Iran, in 1956. He is a graduate of the Haqqani School in Qom, and one of his teachers was the ultra-conservative Mesbah Yazdi. He also received a master's degree in international law from the Haqqani School. ==Career==

Early years From 1984 to 1985, Mohseni-Eje'i served as head of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence's Select Committee. From 1986 to 1988, he was the Representative of the Iranian Head of Judiciary to the Ministry of Intelligence. From 1989 to 1990, he served as head of the Prosecutor's Office for economic affairs. From 1991 to 1994, he held the post of Representative of the Head of Judiciary to the Ministry of Intelligence. Special Clerical Court (1995–2004) From 1995 to 1997, Mohseni-Eje'i was the Prosecutor of the Special Clerical Court. In November 1998 he succeeded Mohammad Reyshahri as Attorney General of the Special Clerical Court, pursuant to a ruling of Ali Khamenei.⁣ He was also the Special Prosecutor for the Clergy for two years. One notable incident during his tenure at Special Clerical Court was when Mohseni-Eje'i attacked journalist Isa Saharkhiz, and bit his ear and shoulder, in May 2004 at a meeting of the Press Supervisor Board. Saharkhiz filed a complaint with the judicial authorities. Minister of Intelligence (2005–2009) Mohseni-Eje'i was appointed Iranian Minister of Intelligence on 24 August 2005, after securing 217 votes in his favor at the Majlis of Iran. During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, intelligence agents under his command detained, abused, blackmailed, tortured, and coerced false confessions from hundreds of activists, journalists, dissidents, academics, and reformist politicians, according to the European Union. No reason was given for his dismissal. It was thought by some to be connected to his opposition to the appointment of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei as first vice-president. As a spokesman for the judiciary from 2010 to 2019, he was also a spokesman to the media and journalists. First Deputy Chief Justice (2014– 2021) Mohseni-Eje'i served as First Deputy Chief Justice from 2014 to 2021. As Chief Justice, he played a central role in suppressing the 2025–2026 protests in Iran. He directed prosecutors to show "no leniency" toward demonstrators, and encouraged swift executions of dozens of prisoners, widespread use of capital punishment, and the denial of due process, legal counsel, and fair trials for many, particularly young adults. Interim Leadership Council (March 2026) Following the February 2026 killing of Ali Khamenei, on 1 March 2026, Mohseni-Eje'i was appointed a member of the Interim Leadership Council which took over Khamenei's responsibilities, in addition to his position in the Assembly of Experts, and who would appoint the successor to Khamenei. He served alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Alireza Arafi. The council's first and only composition acted as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1 to 8 March 2026. ==Activities and views==

Mohseni-Eje’i is a hardline conservative. In 2000, Eje'i was named by journalist Akbar Ganji as having personally ordered the killing of activist journalist Pirouz Davani, one of the 80+ Iranian intellectuals murdered in the 1988–98 Chain murders of Iran. On 15 July 2009, Mohseni-Eje'i told reporters that his ministry might publicize confessions made by people held for weeks without access to their lawyers. Human rights activists raised concerns that "these so-called confessions are obtained under duress." After his dismissal as Minister of Intelligence, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his removal was necessary as the ministry needed huge changes to cope with the situation. He further said if the ministry had done its job properly, there would not have been post-election bloody riots in which some people died. Mohsen-Eje'i indicated in 2016 that he would welcome alternative punishments to the death penalty for some drug traffickers, if the alternatives proposed by teachers were more effective punishments than the death penalty. However, he stated that critics of the death penalty in Iran had not offered alternatives that would deal effectively with Iran's drug gangs. Ejei supported the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in March 2026. Mohseni-Eje'i has taught in the Baqir al-Olum College of the Ministry of Intelligence, in the educational department of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, as well as the Faculty of Judicial Sciences. Sanctions Mohseni-Eje'i is known for his harsh sentencing and has been sanctioned by Canada, the U.S., Switzerland, the European Union and others for human rights abuses. He was among several Iranian officials who were sanctioned in 2011 by the United States Department of State and the European Union for his role in suppressing the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. The EU stated that while he was Intelligence Minister during the 2009 elections, intelligence agents under his command were responsible for the detention and torture of, and the extraction of false confessions under pressure from, hundreds of activists, journalists, dissidents and reformist politicians. In addition, political figures were coerced into making false confessions under unbearable interrogation, which included torture, abuse, blackmail and the threatening of family members. ==See also==