Head of Criminal Investigation Police: There is a possibility of solving the acid attack case in Isfahan

After more than seven months since the series of acid attacks in Isfahan, the head of the Criminal Investigation Police of the Law Enforcement Force emphasized that there is a "possibility of discovery" in this case, referring to the "existence of several main suspects." According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Reza Moqimi stated on Tuesday, May 17, during a conference of police chiefs from across the country that "experts will be consulted to address the Isfahan acid attack case." Meanwhile, according to ILNA news agency, Mr. Moqimi clarified that several suspects have been arrested in this case, one of whom was involved in home burglaries in Isfahan and set the houses on fire after the thefts. He added that while this individual was not the main suspect in the acid attacks, his arrest led to a decrease in serial home burglaries and increased security for homes. The head of the Criminal Investigation Police had previously stated on March 15, 2015, that information regarding the Isfahan acid attacks was being collected and that "we have reached some good points." However, after more than seven months, this case has not yet reached a conclusion, and at the same time, Hossein Ali Amiri, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Interior, stated on May 10 that the perpetrators have not yet been identified. Meanwhile, according to Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the former commander of the Law Enforcement Force, from the beginning of 2014 until February of that year, "318 cases of acid attacks" occurred, most of which had their perpetrators arrested. Nonetheless, officials from the Law Enforcement Force and the judiciary consider the possibility of the suspect or suspects of the series of acid attacks in Isfahan fleeing to be a "speculation" and stated that their escape cannot be considered "certain." In this regard, Hossein Zolghadri, the security deputy of the Iranian Minister of Interior, had previously reported that "191,000" individuals were examined to identify the perpetrators of this crime and stated that one cannot speak with "certainty" about the main suspect's exit from the country. Nasser Jorkesh, the father of Soheila Jorkesh, one of the "victims" of the Isfahan acid attacks, had stated in November 2014 that the police could easily track down "two motorcyclists" who were the perpetrators of the acid attack using traffic cameras. According to Mr. Jorkesh, in addition to traffic cameras, a fire station on the street where the incident occurred also has surveillance cameras, and the police could use footage from these cameras as well. Rasoul Zargarpour, the governor of Isfahan, had first reported on November 18, 2014, the existence of "videos" related to the Isfahan acid attacks, which he claimed "show that" the perpetrator of the Isfahan acid attacks has "psychological problems." Since then, Mr. Zargarpour has not provided a report on the results of reviewing these videos.