Arrest of the 'Main Perpetrator' of Acid Attack in East Tehran

The commander of Greater Tehran Police stated that the 'main perpetrator' of an acid attack on a young woman in East Tehran was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, December 3. According to a report by ISNA news agency on Wednesday, Tehran law enforcement officials announced the arrest of a 24-year-old man and his 'two accomplices,' who allegedly planned the acid attack to 'attract the attention' of the girl he liked and executed it with the help of his accomplices. According to IRNA news agency, Hossein Sajjadi-Nia, the commander of Greater Tehran Police, said that on Tuesday afternoon, two motorcyclists threw acid at a 21-year-old woman, but a man accompanying her shielded her, and the acid splashed on his clothes instead. He noted that the man who shielded the woman was actually the 'main perpetrator' of the incident and had designed this 'scenario' 'to improve his relationship' with the young woman. He added, 'This individual confessed that since his relationship with this woman had encountered problems, he intended to use this plan to get closer to her again and somehow resolve their misunderstandings.' Abbasali Mohammadian, head of Tehran's Criminal Investigation Police, also reported on Wednesday the arrest of the two motorcyclists involved in the acid attack, identifying them as a 19-year-old named Hossein and another man named Kamran. He also named a man named Saeed as the 'main designer of the acid attack scenario.' Mr. Mohammadian stated, 'Saeed, 24, knowing he was involved in the incident, wore thick clothing before the attack, and acid was also poured on his back, so he did not sustain significant injuries.' Hossein Ali Amiri, Deputy Minister of Interior, also stated that the acid attack on Tuesday in Tehran was an isolated incident, with no other acid attacks reported in the city. Mr. Amiri also mentioned on Wednesday that the main perpetrator of the acid attacks in Isfahan has not yet been arrested. After 40 days since the first news about the chain of acid attacks in Isfahan, the perpetrator or perpetrators of this action have still not been apprehended, while Mahdieh Golroo, a member of the Women's Citizenship Association and a participant in the protest against the acid attacks in Isfahan, remains in custody. The Women's Citizenship Association issued a statement on Wednesday, December 3, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, calling the acid attacks in Isfahan an 'overt form of violence against women.' In its statement, the organization emphasized, 'Unfortunately, so far, the authorities and officials of the government... have not only failed to identify the perpetrators and instigators of these heinous events but have also kept one of the women protesting against the recent acid attacks, namely Mahdieh Golroo, in detention.' Mahdieh Golroo, a member of the Women's Citizenship Association, whose image was reflected in the media during the protest against the acid attacks in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, was arrested at her home on November 4 and remains in custody. Islamic Republic officials have so far made contradictory statements regarding the perpetrator or perpetrators of the chain of acid attacks in Isfahan. Rasoul Zarghampour, the governor of Isfahan, reported on November 27 the existence of 'videos' related to the chain of acid attacks in Isfahan, which he claimed 'show that' the perpetrator of the acid attacks in Isfahan 'has psychological problems.' Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, announced on Thursday, November 29, the discovery of 'clues' regarding these acid attacks. Shahindokht Molaverdi, Deputy of Hassan Rouhani for Women and Family Affairs, stated on Tuesday, November 20, that 'no clues have been discovered regarding these incidents, and investigations have not yielded results.'