Police Claim: Arrest of Perpetrators in the Murder of Amir Mohammad Khalighi, University of Tehran Student

Tehran police claimed on Tuesday, February 19, that the perpetrators of the murder of Amir Mohammad Khalighi, a University of Tehran student, along with those involved in the trafficking of stolen goods, have been arrested. According to reports from state media, Abbasali Mohammadian, the police chief of Greater Tehran, stated that five individuals connected to this case, including the main thief and murderer, have been identified and apprehended. Mohammad Shahriari, the head of Tehran's Criminal Court, also mentioned that the suspects were arrested in a 'judicial and technical operation' and, in the early stages of the investigation, 'confessed that they committed the murder with the motive of theft.' This judicial official reported the identification of the main suspects, stating that 'Ahmad, the motorcycle passenger, is the main perpetrator of the murder, and Amir, the motorcycle driver, is his accomplice.' Shahriari added that these two individuals identified the victim in a secluded area and, after stealing his mobile phone and bag, inflicted several blows to him. According to this report, the main suspect stated during interrogations that 'after taking the victim's phone and bag, I hit him two or three times and immediately got on the motorcycle and fled. On Friday, I realized what I had done.' The Tehran Criminal Court emphasized that investigations to explore further aspects of this case are ongoing, and additional information will be released in the future. Amir Mohammad Khalighi, a 19-year-old business management student at the University of Tehran, lost his life on Wednesday evening due to 'stabs from robbers' near the university. His murder has sparked widespread reactions in Iran, with student protests at the University of Tehran continuing over the past few days. In the latest response, the 'No to Executions Tuesdays' campaign, consisting of prisoners protesting against the execution of 36 prisoners across the country, deemed Amir Mohammad Khalighi's murder suspicious and held the government responsible for this incident. The campaign 'No to Executions Tuesdays' holds the government accountable for the 'suspicious murder' of the slain student. Furthermore, six days after the murder of Amir Mohammad Khalighi, student protests in Iran continue. Protesting students at the University of Tehran, during a gathering and march on Monday, February 28, protested against the authorities' negligence regarding student safety and the spending of resources to suppress their individual freedoms and enforce the government's mandatory hijab on women, chanting: 'One by one, hijab enforcers, not a single guard.' The national student guild councils, in response to the murder of this young student, emphasized in a statement that 'the lives of students are not only not a priority for university officials, but they hold absolutely no significance in university policymaking.' Mojtaba Hashemi: Perhaps the Islamic Republic will blame Israel for the murder of Amir Mohammad Khalighi. A memorial ceremony for Amir Mohammad Khalighi was held at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Tehran. 'One by one, hijab enforcers, not a single guard'; a protest slogan from the students of the University of Tehran. Continued student protests at the University of Tehran. The slogan on the fifth day of student protests: One by one, hijab enforcers, not a single guard. The police announced that the murder of the University of Tehran student was motivated by theft.