Only a few months later, on 15 October 1977, another important report appeared in The Guardian. According to the newspaper, a number of Iranian judges had written a formal letter protesting the arbitrary transfer of several judges to different judicial positions. The signatories argued that these transfers were politically motivated and violated constitutional principles governing judicial independence. They further maintained that government officials had interfered directly in judicial affairs and had transformed judges into instruments for implementing executive decisions rather than impartial interpreters of the law.
The protest by judges carried particular symbolic importance because judges traditionally avoid direct political engagement. Their willingness to criticize government policies publicly suggested that dissatisfaction had spread beyond opposition movements into the judiciary itself. The reported letter indicated that many judges believed their professional independence had become increasingly constrained by executive intervention. Such concerns reflected broader debates regarding the proper relationship between the judiciary and the executive branch within constitutional systems.
