Government Media Criticizes Comparisons to 'Serial Killings'; Ambiguity Continues in the Murder Case of Mehrjui and Mohammadi Far

Following the murder of Dariush Mehrjui, a well-known Iranian filmmaker, and his wife Vahideh Mohammadi Far, which is surrounded by many ambiguities regarding details and motives, many social media users likened it to the 'serial killings.' This comparison has sparked significant reactions among government media, with the official press organ of the Islamic Republic criticizing such analogies. The newspaper 'Iran,' the official media of the Islamic Republic, claimed in its issue on Tuesday, October 16, that the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife has 'no similarity' to the government-sanctioned killings of writers and artists in the 1990s, known as 'serial killings.' Conversely, the newspaper 'Kayhan,' which operates under the direct supervision of Ali Khamenei's representative, claims that the murder of Mehrjui and his wife bears similarities to 'one of the victims of the serial killings in 1998,' named Majid Sharif. On the morning of Sunday, October 15, domestic media reported the murder of 84-year-old Dariush Mehrjui and his 54-year-old wife Vahideh Mohammadi Far in their private villa in the Ziba Dasht area of the city of Fardis, located in Alborz province near the Iranian capital. Meanwhile, Masih Mohajeri, the editor-in-chief of the 'Jomhouri Islami' newspaper, which is close to the ruling traditional clerics in Iran, wrote in today's issue to senior judicial and executive officials that if investigations lead to a 'bitter reality' such as the commission of this crime by 'domestic conspiracy gangs,' there should be no 'consideration' and no 'unlawful and illegitimate justifications' should prevent the announcement of names and actions against those gangs. Ali Rabiei, the spokesperson for Hassan Rouhani's government and a former official in the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence, also issued a note warning against the 'delay' of governing bodies in finding and 'clarifying the causes and perpetrators' of the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife. However, the latest official announcements regarding the details of the murder case include statements from Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police, who told the state media that 'four suspects have been identified so far, two of whom have been arrested and two others will be arrested in the coming hours or minutes.' Ali Bahadori Jahromi, the spokesperson for Ibrahim Raisi's government, also stated that during the cabinet meeting on October 15, the ministries of 'Interior and Culture and Islamic Guidance' presented a report on the murder case. Ibrahim Raisi has also instructed the 'security and law enforcement' sectors to investigate the matter with 'seriousness and increased speed' and to inform the results of their actions. Meanwhile, journalist Maryam Shakirani examined the coverage of the incident, deeming it an 'odd occurrence' and noted on the social media platform 'X' that the online newspaper Faraz Daily tweeted around 9 PM that 'Afghan migrants' attempted to 'rob' Mehrjui's wife. The Tehran-based newspaper 'Etemad' also published its front page at 11:55 PM with one of the main headlines featuring an interview with Mehrjui's wife about the 'theft of a santur' from their home. Telegram channels 'Bisimchi Media' and 'Saberin News,' close to the Islamic Republic's security institutions, were among the 'first media' outlets to report the 'murder' of Dariush Mehrjui around 12:45 AM. Other domestic media outlets also reported this news citing the security news agency 'Tasnim' around 1 AM. The murder of the renowned filmmaker couple faces numerous ambiguities and challenges among public opinion in Iran, many of which have so far gone unanswered by the Islamic Republic and its law enforcement, judicial, and governmental institutions. Previously, Emadeddin Baghi, a journalist and researcher, described the 'horrific murder' of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far as 'exactly in the style of the murder of Dariush Forouhar and his wife' and stated that it certainly carries a clear message reminiscent of the serial killings of the 1990s. Additionally, Hamid Ayinehvand, a journalist, told Voice of America that the nature of Dariush Mehrjui's murder indicates that it is not the work of an ordinary killer.