Iran has dismissed or convicted 138 judicial employees over the past year in a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, Iran International reported Wednesday. Ali Abdollahi, head of the judiciary’s Protection and Intelligence Center, said nearly 400 cases involving lawyers and legal experts have been referred to disciplinary or judicial bodies since March 2024. His comments came amid a high-profile probe in Tehran targeting judiciary staff, lawyers, notaries and legal consultants over alleged bribery and influence-peddling, with authorities seizing gold, jewelry and foreign currency in related raids.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei praised the crackdown but questioned whether safeguards are strong enough to deter misconduct. The campaign follows Iran’s slide to 151st place in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index—its worst-ever ranking—amid criticism over political control, suppression of dissent and misuse of public funds.
