Former Iranian ‘Death Committee’ prosecutor set to become next president of Iran

Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian chief justice who has long been linked to the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in the late 1980s, is set to become the next president of that country in its latest elections.

Raisi as of early Saturday, was holding a majority of votes cast after more than 90% of ballots had been counted. His victory would constitute a major win for the country’s conservative political coalitions. 

The politician is currently serving as the chief justice of Iran. He was reportedly part of the "death committee" that in 1988 oversaw the mass execution of several thousand political prisoners in that county. 

He previously ran for president in 2017 but lost that race.