University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Judges: Targets and Resistance

Argentina: Milei Undermines Judicial Independence

President Javier Milei appointed two Supreme Court justices—Federal Judge Ariel Lijo and legal scholar Manuel García-Mansilla—by presidential decree, bypassing the constitutionally mandated Senate approval process after months of failing to secure the required two-thirds majority. Human Rights Watch condemned the move as one of the most serious threats to Argentina’s judicial independence since the return …

Two Iranian supreme court judges shot dead

On January 18, 2025, two senior Iranian Supreme Court judges, Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, were shot dead in a premeditated assassination inside the Supreme Court building in Tehran. The attacker also killed himself while fleeing, and a bodyguard was injured. The motive is unclear, but both judges had long-standing roles in Iran’s judiciary and …

Judges vs spies: Pakistan’s jurists accuse intel agency ISI of intimidation

In a rare and bold move, six senior judges from Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court have publicly accused the country’s powerful intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of interfering in judicial affairs. Their open letter details shocking instances of surveillance, coercion, and even the abduction and torture of family members, all allegedly aimed at influencing rulings …