The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has renewed Ayatollah Amoli Larijani’s term as head of judiciary for another five years.

At a ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei called on the judiciary to focus on policies to reduce case-processing times, fight corruption, and establish social security and prevent crime.

Ayatollah Larijani’s term at the helm of the judiciary has been rife with controversial matters and investigations such as the three-billion-dollar fraud files involving senior officers of the country’s major banks, the death of detainees from the 2009 protests under torture in Kahrizak Prison, and the heavy debts owed to the oil ministry by jailed tycoon Babak Zanjani.

The judiciary has been criticized by political activists for issuing harsh prison terms to activists and for a rise in the number of executions across the country.

Sadegh Amoli Larijani took over the judiciary in August of 2009 and had served before that as a member of the Guardian Council and a representative of Mazandaran in Parliament.

His older brother Ali Larijani is currently speaker of Parliament.

Radio Zamaneh