Lawyer in Acid Attack Case: Arrest and Identification of a Suspect

The lawyer for three victims of the chain acid attacks in Isfahan emphasized the arrest of a suspect in the acid attacks, stating that two of his clients have seen and identified the suspect. Hossein Alizadeh, the lawyer for the Isfahan acid attack case, said in a press conference on Thursday, June 18, that several repeat offenders have been arrested during the investigation of this case in recent months, adding: "One of these suspects, who is very close to the suspect in this case, has committed violence against women very skillfully and with pleasure." In response to the question of whether this individual is the accused in the acid attack, he stated: "I don’t want to say it is 100% the case, but there is strong suspicion against him, and he is currently being interrogated." According to Mr. Alizadeh, "This criminal has committed various crimes against women, and these repeated crimes against women have led many officials in the country to strongly suspect that this person is the main suspect." He further noted the efforts of the judiciary, the prosecutor's office, and the Ministry of Intelligence to identify and arrest this suspect, stating: "I believe that someone who can commit acid attacks must have committed various crimes beforehand as a prelude and has nothing left to lose." Mr. Alizadeh also responded to the question of why the details of the arrested individual, confessions, and evidence are not disclosed if they are close to the acid attacker, saying: "The clients must identify the suspect; this is currently in the stage of direct confrontation, and some victims of the acid attacks have seen him and some have confirmed it." The statements of Hossein Alizadeh, the lawyer for three victims of last year's acid attacks in Isfahan, come amid contradictory statements from Iranian police and judicial officials. For instance, on Thursday, June 18, Abdolreza Aghakhani, the commander of the Isfahan police force, stated that he does not confirm the news of the arrest of the acid attack suspect. This police official emphasized that this case "has a suspect" but stated that "no one has been arrested so far." However, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the Iranian judiciary, said on May 24 that "a new development" has occurred in the Isfahan acid attack case and "one person has been arrested as a suspect." On the other hand, Hossein Zolfaqari, the security deputy of the Iranian Minister of Interior, also reported on June 1 the arrest of a "suspicious" individual in the Isfahan acid attack case, while stating that this matter has not yet reached a conclusion. Approximately eight months have passed since the acid attacks on women and girls in Isfahan, and the status of this case remains unclear.