Ministry of Interior: Investigation of 191,000 People to Identify Main Suspects of Acid Attacks

On Saturday, the Deputy Security Minister of Iran stated that the main suspects in the acid attacks in Isfahan have not yet been identified, revealing that "191,000" individuals are being investigated to identify the perpetrators of this crime. He mentioned that it cannot be said with "certainty" whether the main suspect has left the country. According to this official, in addition to examining "191,000" individuals from "a certain group," black motorcycles in Isfahan, all divorce cases, and "all mentally ill patients in Isfahan" have been reviewed to identify the factors behind the series of acid attacks in the city. According to Tasnim News Agency, Hossein Zolfaqari, the Deputy Minister of the Islamic Republic, said on Saturday, December 22, that the main suspects in the acid attacks in Isfahan have not yet been identified. He noted that technical work, including facial recognition, has been conducted in this case. Mr. Zolfaqari stated that currently, "analytical work" is being done to identify the main suspects, adding that the number of individuals "under review" has dropped to below one hundred. Furthermore, Fars News Agency reported that in this case, "all individuals with previous records, all mentally ill patients in Isfahan, all divorce cases, and even all those who owned black motorcycles in Isfahan have been evaluated." In this context, Abdolreza Aqakhani, the police chief of Isfahan province, stated on December 12 that the police are pursuing more than "170 subjects" regarding the acid attacks in this city. Isfahan Governor, Reza Zargarpoor, also mentioned on Tuesday, November 27, that there are a "significant number of suspects" related to the acid attacks in the city. The Deputy Security Minister further stated that the facial recognition images have been made available to the public to facilitate the identification process. Regarding the possibility of the main suspect leaving Iran, Mr. Zolfaqari said, "We cannot say this explicitly and there is no definitive statement on this matter." Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the First Deputy of the Judiciary, stated on Sunday, November 4, that there is "absolutely no" evidence regarding the exit of the suspect in the acid attacks from Isfahan province or the country, and "of course" there is also no evidence of his presence in Isfahan province. Nearly two months after the first news about the series of acid attacks in Isfahan was published, the perpetrator or perpetrators of this act have still not been arrested. Meanwhile, Mahdieh Golroo, a member of the Women's Citizenship Association and a participant in the protest against the acid attacks in Isfahan, remains in custody. Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the commander of the Islamic Republic's police, stated on Wednesday, November 21, that since the beginning of this year, there have been "318 cases of acid attacks," most of whose perpetrators have been arrested. In this context, the governor of Isfahan reported the existence of several videos related to the acid attacks, while the Minister of Interior mentioned "clues" regarding the acid attacks in Isfahan. The head of the Judicial Commission of the Parliament criticized the failure to identify the perpetrators of the acid attacks in Isfahan and promised "decisive action" against the perpetrator of acid attacks in Mashhad.