Brutal Murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far; Ambiguities in Details and Motives; '4 Suspects' Arrested

The murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife Vahideh Mohammadi-Far in their private villa has raised further dimensions and ambiguities, coinciding with the publication of an interview by the newspaper Etemad with Mehrjui's wife. Officials from the police force in Alborz province have dismissed any speculation and labeled the murder as a 'brutal act.' In a recent development, Fars news agency reported that by noon on Sunday, '4 suspects have been arrested,' none of whom are foreign nationals. Mehrjui's wife had previously mentioned being threatened with a knife. On the morning of Sunday, the same day the bodies of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife were discovered, the newspaper 'Etemad' published an interview with Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, which was prompted by an Instagram post from Mehrjui's wife on October 7, stating that she had been 'threatened by an unknown person with a knife' and that the famous santur from the film 'Santouri' had also been stolen. The front page of Etemad on Sunday, October 15, 2023, quoted Vahideh Mohammadi-Far as saying: 'I noticed our dog's barking in the yard. I quickly locked the kitchen entrance. Then I realized someone was pressing a knife against the frosted window glass at the entrance.' In this interview, conducted a week prior, Mehrjui's wife stated: 'I shouted loudly; I'm calling 110. He responded by saying, 'Go ahead and call.' When he replied, 'Go ahead and call,' I realized he did not have an Iranian accent.' She emphasized that 'some items, including the santur related to the film Santouri, had also been stolen some time ago.' The spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police force (FaraJa) reacted to this murder by asserting that the police would soon apprehend the perpetrators of this 'brutal act' and bring them to justice. Hossein Montazeralmahdi emphasized that technical measures were taken in the early hours and that detectives were present at the scene, investigating possible scenarios. The head of the Iranian Directors' Guild stated that 'there is currently no evidence of foreign nationals' involvement in this crime.' Mohsen Amir-Yousefi stressed that the bodies have been transferred to forensic medicine and that the crime scene is under police investigation, with evidence suggesting a potential theft. On Sunday, the public relations office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced that following the 'passing' of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, an extraordinary meeting was held with the Minister of Culture and security, judicial, and police agencies. According to this report, this cinematic organization and the Ministry of Culture's security are responsible for following up and reporting on this case. In another report, Fars news agency, citing an 'informed source,' detailed the manner of Dariush Mehrjui's murder, stating that 'Mehrjui died from three knife wounds to the neck and a blow to the head, while his wife died from a blow to the carotid artery.' According to this news agency, which is affiliated with security agencies, 'the bracelets of Mehrjui's wife were not found on the body, and two mobile phones were also stolen.' The news of the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far has sparked widespread reactions among cinema professionals, leaving the cultural and artistic community in shock. Mohammadi-Far was a screenwriter, costume designer, and assistant director, born on February 8, 1969. Hanieh Tosoli, an Iranian cinema actress, reacted to the news on her Instagram, writing: 'This horrific murder of him and his wife is a national tragedy.' This actress emphasized: 'It is the ultimate misery. The ultimate wretchedness for this society. Oppression and discrimination and the lack of security we have. Everything is strange. Like a nightmare. A nightmare that never ends. I am helpless. For a long time. I have not had the ability to live normally. For a long time. I don't know how to continue.' Morteza Yazdani Khorram, a critic and writer, also reacted to this murder on his Instagram, writing: 'It means Dariush Mehrjui is no longer here, and it means they killed 83-year-old Dariush Mehrjui so that he would not exist.' Yazdani Khorram emphasized: 'I have no opinion. I am waiting for morning to come so that news will come, so that the sun will rise, so that I can still understand what dirt has been poured over us.' Monijeh Hekmat, a prominent Iranian director, also reacted to the news by writing: 'Oh dear; they killed the great director of Iranian cinema. They cut the head of culture and art. What do we do with all this grief, sorrow, pain, worry, shock, the incurable pain of our lives, the incurable pain.' Mehrab Ghasemkhani, an actor and screenwriter, wrote in reaction to this event: 'It seems we are living in a nightmare that never ends. In a night that never becomes morning. We don't even wait for dawn anymore. Darkness behind darkness. Misery behind misery.' Prolific Iranian actor Parviz Parastoui also wrote on his Instagram: 'The bitter final scene! The murder of a prominent Iranian director and his wife by knife? Where is security?!' In this context, the commander of the police force in Alborz province stated that 'this murder occurred by an unknown individual or individuals, with cold weapon strikes to the neck and body parts, but the motive for the murder is still unclear.' Hamid Hedayatvand, in an interview with ISNA news agency, added: 'The murder of Mr. Mehrjui and his wife was reported to the police by the daughter of the late Mehrjui in the late hours of Saturday night, October 14, and officers are investigating the details of this murder.' The murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife has once again called into question the Islamic Republic's claim of 'security in the country.' The website 'Eghtesad News' wrote in this regard: 'According to the latest reports from the Statistical Center of Iran in 2021, the number of arrested thieves reached '445,000,' which accounted for about 49% of the total thefts. This media outlet continues: If we assume that two thieves participated in each theft, we can say that the success rate of the police in arresting thieves has reached 'one thief for every four thefts.' According to some sociologists and social pathologists, 'the intensification of economic crises along with increasing social and political discontent' is one of the main factors behind the rise in social harms, including theft. Orders were issued; a repetition like always. The murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife and 'the security that no longer exists in Iran' is one of the critical points of reaction on social networks, and in response, the head of the judiciary in Alborz province announced, as with all events, the issuance of orders for investigation. Hossein Fazeli Hekandi reiterated general information about the time of the murder and how the crime was discovered by Mehrjui's daughter, stating: 'Necessary judicial orders for investigating the matter and identifying and arresting the suspects have been issued to the Alborz police.' Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, a screenwriter, costume designer, and assistant director born on February 8, 1969, were murdered. Dariush Mehrjui's last film, 'Laminoor,' produced in 2019, was not allowed to be screened, and despite receiving a screening permit from the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic, it was banned before its release. In March 2022, in protest against the ban on this film, Mehrjui stated in a recorded video that he would stage a sit-in with his assistants at the Ministry of Culture and could no longer tolerate the ban on his films and this time he wanted to fight. His protest was influential a few days later, and it was announced that the screening issue had been resolved. This renowned director of Iranian cinema was 84 years old at the time of his death.