Raeesi, a renowned figure in Iranian politics who is the Chief Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi – that runs assets and affairs related to the shrine of Shiite Islam’s 8th Imam, Hazrat Ali Ibn-e Mussa (AS) – is a former deputy judiciary chief and replaces Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani who ran the country’s judicial power for two five-year terms and was recently appointed by the Leader as the chair of the highly positioned Expediency Council. Raeesi is also a member of the same council.

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In his decree, Ayatollah Khamenei praised Raeesi’s knowledge of jurisprudence, experience, healthy character, trustworthiness and efficiency, and stressed the necessity for change and a more powerful and resolute judiciary during his term, given the long record of Raeesi in different judicial posts and his full knowledge of the different dimensions of Iran’s judicial structure.

Raeesi was born to a religious family in the holy city of Mashhad in December 1960 and lost his father at the age of 5. He studied in Mashhad seminary, Navvab school and Qom seminary. He has studied religious lessons under the supervision of several prominent clerics, including Martyr Ayatollah Beheshti, Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari and Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani.

He has also studied law at Shahid Motahhari school and received PhD in jurisprudence and private law. His academic record also including teaching at Imam Sadeq, Shahid Motahhari and Islamic Azad Universities as well as seminary schools in Mashhad and Tehran.

Raeesi has authored four books on religion and law and has 3 other books under publication.

In 1981, he was appointed the prosecutor of Karaj and then served in different posts, including the prosecutor of Hamedan province, Tehran’s deputy prosecutor, Tehran prosecutor, Head of the General Inspection Organization of Iran (GIO), Judiciary top deputy chief, Iran’s chief prosecutor, chief prosecutor of clerics court, custodian and chairman of Astan Quds Razavi, representative of South Khorassan province in the Assembly of Experts, member of the high council of cyberspace and member of the headquarters to fight against economic corruption.

On 6 April 2017, Raeesii announced his official nomination for the 2017 presidential election. He registered on 14 April and was ranked first in the voting of the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces for presidential candidate. He lost the election to incumbent President Hassan Rouhani after garnering almost 16 million votes.