Forty Days After the Horrific Murder of Mehrjouei and Mohammadi-Far; Etemad Reports on the 'Fear of Speaking the Truth' and the 'Teenage Killers'

On the eve of the fortieth day after the horrific murder of renowned Iranian director Dariush Mehrjouei and his wife Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, the newspaper Etemad published a new report about the 'fear of expressing the truth' and the 'teenage killers' of this case. In its Wednesday, November 22 issue, Etemad reported extensively citing 'an informed source' that two of the four individuals identified as the murderers of Mehrjouei and his wife are fourteen and fifteen years old. According to this report, 'Davood and Eskandar' are under eighteen years old according to the list released by the judiciary as the murderers in this case. Nearly forty days after the brutal murder of Dariush Mehrjouei and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has not only failed to convince public opinion and the media but has also accused the media of 'spreading rumors' and stated that it has opened cases against some media outlets that published reports about the murder without legal documentation. Now, several weeks after this crime, Masoud Setayesh, the spokesperson for the judiciary, promised that an indictment would be issued for this case in the first half of December. Etemad, referring to the spokesperson's statements, wrote: 'No one dares to speak decisively about the accused in the murder of Mehrjouei and his wife, whose motives were described as hostility, financial gain, and theft.' The newspaper also quoted an 'informed source' who wished to remain anonymous, stating that two of the accused in the case, 'Davood and Eskandar, are only fourteen and fifteen years old.' This claim had previously been mentioned by the judiciary as well. 'Eskandar, Davood, Mirovis, and Karim' are the four individuals alleged to have been involved in the murder of this director and his wife, with motives described as hostility, financial gain, and theft. The news site 'Mashregh,' which is close to security agencies, had previously introduced 'Davood as the younger brother of Mirovis,' but Etemad's sources indicate that 'Davood does not have a brother named Mirovis.' The case of the murder of Dariush Mehrjouei and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far has been accompanied by many ambiguous and contradictory points from the very beginning. The news agency 'Rokna' attributed the murder in the early days to 'some close relatives of this family,' while the news site 'Mashregh' reported in an interview with the arrested suspects that they were introduced as the 'main suspects' in the case. Etemad emphasizes in its report that after the arrest of individuals whom the judiciary claims are accused of these murders, a reporter from 'Mashregh,' a media outlet close to security agencies, was the only journalist able to interview the suspects and publish a narrative of the events. From the beginning of the news about the murder of Mehrjouei and his wife until the introduction of the suspects, many contradictions have been observed in the news. On November 23 of this year, Manoush Manoochehri, the lawyer for Mehrjouei's daughter, stated in a text published by the ISNA news agency: 'Considering that due to family circumstances, it has not been possible to directly participate in the investigation process and learn about the details of the case, I request that until the end of the proceedings and the issuance of a definitive ruling and clarification of all aspects of the crime, any news that is not confirmed by the heirs or their lawyers, including the introduction of the potential murderer or murderers, be avoided.' Mona Mehrjouei also wrote in her Instagram story: 'So far, none of the evidence, confessions, or crime scenes have been reviewed by us. Until all aspects are examined and we are present in the case and the proceedings, the murderer is not clear to us.' According to Etemad, the efforts of the newspaper's reporters to talk to individuals who might have information about the suspects have been fruitless, and even the lawyers of the heirs have shown no willingness to talk. Manoush Manoochehri, Mona Mehrjouei's lawyer, responded to Etemad with just one sentence: 'Whatever was said has been published in that text.' As Etemad reported, one of the guards of the Zibadasht complex also told the newspaper's reporter: 'I cannot give you information. If you want to know more, you should contact the police and intelligence officers.' Following the murder of Dariush Mehrjouei, a well-known Iranian filmmaker, and his wife Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, which is fraught with many ambiguities in details and motives, many social media users have likened it to 'serial killings.' This comparison has faced many reactions among government media, and the press organ of the Islamic Republic criticized such a comparison.