Iranian Writers Association: The Government Evades Accountability Regarding the Murders of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far

On Tuesday, October 16, the Iranian Writers Association referred to the "brutal murder" of Dariush Mehrjui, a filmmaker, and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadi Far, a screenwriter, stating that "the government is evading accountability regarding the ambiguities and the explanation of what happened to the two." In a brief statement, the association noted that "this horrific crime, many aspects of which remain shrouded in ambiguity, has provoked widespread reactions and plunged society into shock and anger." The Iranian Writers Association pointed out that the Islamic Republic government has a long history of pursuing, harassing, and even murdering freedom-seeking writers and artists. Early on Sunday, October 15, Iranian 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. Following the murders of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far, which are fraught with many ambiguities regarding details and motives, many social media users likened it to the "chain murders." This comparison sparked significant reactions among government media, with the official media outlet of the Islamic Republic criticizing such analogies. The daily "Iran," the official newspaper of the Islamic Republic, claimed in its October 16 issue that the murders of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife bear "no resemblance" to the government-sanctioned killings of writers and artists in the 1990s, known as the "chain murders." Conversely, the daily "Kayhan," which operates under the direct supervision of Ali Khamenei's representative, claimed that the murder of Mehrjui and his wife shares similarities with one of the victims of the 1997 chain murders, named Majid Sharif. The Iranian Writers Association stated in its announcement that Dariush Mehrjui was a renowned filmmaker and the creator of enduring works such as "The Circle of Mina," "The Cow," "Mr. Halo," "The Tenants," and "Hamoun." His films often addressed social issues. The statement also noted that Mehrjui's works had faced censorship over the decades under past governments. Among his numerous works are the novels "In the Ruins of the Magi" and "For the Sake of a Damn Feature Film," as well as translations of Herbert Marcuse's "Aesthetic Dimension" and "The Holographic Universe."