Former Gardener Identified as 'Main Suspect' in the Murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far

Iranian media reported that a former gardener has been accused of the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadi-Far. The Fars News Agency, linked to the security institutions of the Islamic Republic, claimed on Saturday, October 21, that a 'young man' who had worked as the gardener of this renowned filmmaker's villa several years ago committed the murder with 'financial motives.' According to this report, the main suspect, along with three others, stabbed the couple to death. There has been no information released about the identity or nationality of these suspects. Previously, it was reported that at least 10 people had been arrested in connection with the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, although Hossein Fazli Heryekandi, the head of the judiciary in Alborz, mentioned that the number of suspects in this case is 20. Saeed Montazeri al-Mahdi, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police, stated that the 'main killer' was among those arrested and that he had been identified and confirmed after technical measures and cross-referencing. Hossein Fazli Heryekandi also reported that 'technical and specialized interrogations' had taken place and several suspects had confessed. However, the conditions of the interrogations and how confessions were obtained from the suspects remain unclear. Shortly after this announcement, the Attorney General of the Islamic Republic published a letter expressing gratitude for the 'efforts made in identifying and arresting the suspects' in the murder. On the other hand, some social media users and political and civil activists have compared this crime to the 'serial killings' of writers and dissidents in the 1990s. Parviz Dashtmalchi, a writer and researcher, told Voice of America that the murder of this cinematic couple bears many similarities to the killing of figures like Shapour Bakhtiar. Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi and a leader of the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election, also stated in a message that the 'stabbing' of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far is reminiscent of the slaughter of Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar and the butchering of intellectuals like Pouyandeh, Mokhtari, Sharif, and Davani. Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, described the similarity between the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife and the serial killings as 'incorrect' and claimed that, according to him, some are always looking to 'psychologically destabilize society.' Behrouz Afkhami, a government-supporting filmmaker, also described the similarity between the murder of this artistic couple and the serial killings as 'baseless.' However, his presence at the murder scene and his smile while expressing interest in writing a screenplay about this crime has faced negative reactions from some in the cinema community. Parviz Parastoui, a veteran actor, wrote on his Instagram page that Mr. Behrouz Afkhami 'has thought about writing a crime story in the style of Hitchcock! With a smiling face!' Hanieh Tosoli, a well-known actress, also wrote, 'What horrifying smiles... How can one talk about a new subject while relaxed and smiling in a place where your colleague has been butchered?' Media in Iran have introduced 'family disputes' as the motive behind this murder. Earlier, the website Rokna reported that the brothers-in-law of Dariush Mehrjui were involved in this murder and had hired 'three assassins from foreign nationals,' which was quickly denied by official authorities. The family of Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, the wife of Dariush Mehrjui, also issued a statement rejecting this news and announced that none of the members of the Mohammadi-Far family had financial disputes with Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, and none of the family members had been arrested. At the funeral of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, which was held last Wednesday in the courtyard of the Roudaki Hall in Tehran with the presence of many artists, cultural figures, and their admirers, participants chanted anti-government slogans. At this ceremony, Mona Mehrjui, the daughter of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, who attended the ceremony without the compulsory hijab mandated by the Islamic Republic, said, 'As my father said, the killers are indeed among us.' The continuation of contradictory news; announcement of the arrest of the killer of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far. Marzieh Boroumand after being booed: I mistakenly said 'war'; Homayoun Ghanizadeh: 'It was treason.' The police: 'The main killer' of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far has been arrested. Zahra Rahnavard's reaction to the murder of Mehrjui and Mohammadi-Far: I hope this time the killer does not escape. Anti-government slogans at the funeral of Mehrjui; Mona Mehrjui attended without compulsory hijab.