On August 14, Iran's spiritual leader Khamenei named...

On August 14, Iran's spiritual leader Khamenei named Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to replace Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, who had been at the helm of Iran's judiciary since 1989. Under Yazdi, the judiciary convicted reformers on various charges and closed down liberal newspapers, while taking no action against vigilantes who have broken up pro-democracy gatherings and attacked dissidents. His closure of the Salam newspaper last month triggered the confrontation at the hostel. It was unclear whether the new chief had different political leanings than his predecessor.