Iran's 'death committee' president unyielding in defence of clerical rule

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a meeting with the families of the security forces killed during the Iran's protests, in Tehran, Iran, December 9, 2022. Presidential Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

DUBAI (Reuters) - As a young prosecutor in Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi sat on a "death committee" overseeing the execution of hundreds of political prisoners in the Iranian capital, rights groups say.

Now president three decades later, and seen by many as Iran's potential next Supreme Leader, Raisi is presiding over an uncompromising response to domestic and international challenges which have seen Iranian courts pass dozens of death sentences.