The Trial of Mohammad Mossadegh

The trial itself was a heavily controlled affair. It was presided over by a panel of military generals, whose loyalties were to the Shah, not the rule of law. The prosecutor, Brigadier-General Hossein Azemoudeh, was a high-ranking officer in the Shah's army and served as the chief inquisitor. Mossadegh's court-appointed defense counsel was also an army officer, creating a situation where both the prosecution and the defense were part of the very military establishment that had put him on trial. This setup immediately undermined any claim of impartiality.