The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basij units have been significantly degraded by the United States and Israel. Yet even as bombs rain on Tehran, the regime continues to suppress domestic opposition. In response, the U.S. and Israel should target the Islamic Republic of Iran’s core pillar of repression: the judiciary.

Since 1979, the Islamic Republic’s judiciary has functioned as an enforcement of the regime’s Twelver Shia Islamic ideology. The revolutionary court system is presided over by hardline clerics and followers who use vague and politically charged accusations such as “corruption on earth,” “siding with global arrogance,” and “waging war against God” (moharebeh) to justify the imprisonment and execution of political dissidents, foreigners, human rights activists, and journalists. Those who are tried before the judiciary face closed trials, denial of due process, and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)