Ejei: 100 Arrested in Connection with Attack on Saudi Embassy

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, spokesman for the Iranian judiciary, announced the arrest of approximately 100 individuals in connection with the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, with some of them having been released. He also identified an individual who, according to him, was 'directing' the attack from abroad and is currently detained in Iran, as a 'dismissed student and member of the Unity Consolidation, who has studied seminary.' According to IRNA news agency, during a press conference on Sunday, February 4, Ejei responded to various questions from journalists regarding the progress in finding the perpetrators of the attack on the Saudi embassy, stating that 'one hundred people have been arrested from the beginning until today, with some of them having been released.' In response to the question of whether the attack was organized, he divided the protesters in front of the embassy into two categories, stating that 'some had no criminal motive and were aggrieved by the actions of Saudi officials, gathering in protest in front of the embassy, with nearly 200 people coming for this reason.' He described the second group as 'those suspected of entering the embassy with the intent to set it on fire and destroy it, or that an enemy infiltrated among them and exploited naive elements,' adding that this matter is under investigation and there are indications and evidence in this regard. The Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad were attacked on January 12 following the announcement of the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a Shia cleric critical of the Saudi government, with part of the embassy in Tehran being set on fire. Following this, Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Tehran. Since then, some officials of the Islamic Republic have described the attacks as the work of 'rogue elements,' while others have called them 'organized.' However, in recent days, the Ministry of Interior and the judiciary have denied the involvement of any institutions of the Islamic Republic in the incident. In the latest instance, Hossein Zolfaqari, the Deputy Security Minister, emphasized on February 1 that the attack on the Saudi embassy was not organized by 'any specific organization or Basij bases,' announcing the arrest of 'an individual who was directing the attack from abroad' and his transfer to Iran, stating that this individual is currently being interrogated. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei mentioned on Sunday regarding this individual that 'he is a dismissed student from one of the universities in the north of the country and a member of the Unity Consolidation, and has also studied seminary remotely.' The first deputy of the judiciary also accused Saudi Arabia of 'immorality' for severing relations with Tehran, stating that officials 'must respond to them with appropriate action.' Ejei also confirmed the death of one person in a conflict in one of the villages in Khuzestan province over parliamentary candidates, stating that 'this issue is not unrelated to the electoral matter, and unfortunately, it was a conflict between supporters of both sides that resulted in injury and amputation.' He also reported the formation of forty cases in 31 provinces in the country in cyberspace for the destruction against some electoral candidates. Regarding the acid attacks in Isfahan, Ejei stated that 'the acid attacks in Isfahan are a very sensitive issue for the judiciary, and evidence suggests that this was not a personal act.' He added that he personally followed up on this case and that officials have made significant efforts, with some suspects having been arrested, but 'the main perpetrator has not been found to date.' According to Mohseni Ejei, 'there are also individuals being pursued who have not yet been arrested, and the case has not been closed.' Hossein Zolfaqari, the Deputy Security and Law Enforcement Minister, had previously reported on October 23 the arrest of 'the individual against whom the most evidence and documents were available' in relation to the acid attacks in Isfahan, which caused protests and tensions after several women were attacked in Isfahan in October 2014.