In a controversial move, the Iranian Supreme Court overturned the convictions of six murderers on the basis that their victims were deemed to be morally corrupt. This latest decision is the third reversal by the Supreme Court on the group, after they were sentenced to death by the lower courts.

The men, who are members of the government-favored Basij, a volunteer militia force, have been implicated in 5 of 17 murders dating back to 2002, which began after the viewing of a tape of a “senior cleric who ruled that Muslims could kill a morally corrupt person if the law failed to confront that person.” The International Herald Tribune commented on the legality of the case:

Iran’s Islamic penal code, which is a parallel system to its civic code, says murder charges can be dropped if the accused can prove the killing was carried out because the victim was morally corrupt.This is true even if the killer identified the victim mistakenly as corrupt. In that case, the law requires “blood money” to be paid to the family. Every year in Iran, a senior cleric determines the amount of blood money required in such cases. This year it is $40,000 if the victim is a Muslim man, and half that for a Muslim woman or a non-Muslim.

Enforcement of such laws from a non-governed body has caused fear among many Iranians. Imagine your life being in the hands of not only another’s interpretation of the law, but more alarmingly, their interpretation of your actions. Such oppression has befallen some of those in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

What’s worse, the court itself virtually ignores these atrocities. The very body one would think exists to enforce proper justice allows individuals to take the law into their own hands.

This ruling from the highest court in Iran reveals the mindset not only of those committing the crimes, but also of the governing powers that allow it. Consider: If this is what they do to their own people, what justice awaits their enemies?