Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urges Iran’s Judiciary to root out corruption

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with a group of Iranian Judiciary officials and employees on Tuesday, marking the martyrdom anniversary of former Iranian Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti and 72 of his companions in the 1981 bombing of the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party by the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).

“Corruption is contagious… when it enters a system, the disease spreads and increases day by day,” the Leader told the Judiciary officials. “Fighting corruption both inside and outside the Judiciary is one of your duties.”Ayatollah Khamenei also said the overwhelming majority of those serving in the Judiciary have “nobility” as they are doing hard work with low income, but a small minority abuse their position and tarnish the image of the branch.

The Leader further emphasized that other government branches are also tasked with tackling corruption outside the Judiciary.“It means that sometimes corruption happens [and] its source is not the Judiciary, but the executive branch, the legislative branch, or the Armed Forces. They must stop corruption… if it is not stopped, then it is the duty of the Judiciary to intervene,” Ayatollah Khamenei asserted.

The Leader also said that today “biased and sick-hearted people” spread rumors about the Judiciary, adding that such claims “are much more than the reality of what exists in the Judiciary.”Iran’s Judiciary is “one of the main pillars” of the Islamic establishment, Ayatollah Khamenei said, warning that any disruptions in the Judiciary can lead to disruptions in the entire system.