Police: 'Main Killer' of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far Arrested

Saeed Montazeralmahdi, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's police force, announced on Thursday, October 19, that the 'main killer' of the famous filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, screenwriter Vahideh Mohammadi Far, has been arrested. According to Tasnim News Agency, this police official did not elaborate on the use of the term 'main killer' but stated that he was among those arrested who were identified after technical measures and cross-referencing. It was previously reported that around 10 individuals had been arrested in connection with the murders of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far. He mentioned that 'interrogations are ongoing to identify accomplices and hidden aspects of this murder.' Saeed Montazeralmahdi added that the crime scene would soon be reconstructed and additional information would be provided. The news of the arrest of the 'main killer' was announced a day after the funeral of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far, during which anti-government slogans were chanted. Mona Mehrjui, their daughter, stated that 'as my father said, the killers are truly among us.' The spokesperson's comments came at a time when several social media users, as well as political and civil figures and analysts, compared it to the serial killings of writers and dissidents in the 1990s. Parviz Dashtmalchi, a writer and researcher, told Voice of America that the murders bear many similarities to those of figures like Shapour Bakhtiar. Zahra Rahnavard, wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the leaders of the protests against the 2009 presidential election results, referred to the 'stabbing' of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far as reminiscent of the slaughter of Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar and the slaughter of intellectuals like Pouyandeh, Mokhtari, Sharif, and Davani. Zahra Rahnavard added, 'I hope this time, in this crime, the killer does not escape.' The murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far has sparked widespread reactions. These reactions reached a point where the Tehran prosecutor summoned the managers of the newspapers Etemad and Faraz for what was termed 'advice and guidance,' and Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, stated that action would be taken against 'anyone who attempts to create insecurity in society.' On Wednesday, October 18, in response to a question, he dismissed the similarity between the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife and the serial killings as 'incorrect.' Ahmad Vahidi claimed that, according to him, some are always seeking to 'psychologically destabilize society.' Meanwhile, Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday, citing 'an informed source in the police,' that the news from the website Rokna regarding the involvement of Dariush Mehrjui's brothers-in-law in the murder case is fundamentally false. This unnamed source told Tasnim that 'the main suspect is not one of Dariush Mehrjui's brothers-in-law' and urged the media to 'avoid speculation so that police detectives can soon announce further news.' Earlier, Rokna had reported that the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far was orchestrated by his brothers-in-law, stating that the motive for the murder was financial disputes. The website also mentioned that Mehrjui's brothers-in-law had hired 'three assassins from foreign nationals.' Opposition to the Islamic Republic's stance in support of Hamas also reached the funeral of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, where the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom' was chanted, along with 'Death to the perpetrator of this crime.' The number of those arrested in connection with the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far has reached 10, reflecting a lack of trust in official narratives.