Prosecutor of Fardis: Maryam Faraji's Former Fiancé Confessed to Her Murder

The prosecutor of Fardis announced that Maryam Faraji's former fiancé has confessed to murdering the student, and her body, which was buried in her killer's sister's garden near Fardis, has been handed over to forensic medicine. Hassan Jahanshahloo, in an interview with the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, added: "The individual who was the former fiancé of this lady was arrested a few days ago and confessed to her murder based on sufficient evidence and reasons." According to Jam-e Jam newspaper, he stated regarding the motive for the murder of Maryam Faraji by her former fiancé: "Contrary to the claims of hostile websites, the motive for the murder was not political, and the accused committed this murder out of emotional motives." He also mentioned: "We do not intend to publicize the case. The prosecutor's approach is to avoid informing about criminal cases that disrupt citizens' peace, but in cases that have a preventive aspect or where the dignity of individuals or organizations needs to be preserved, information will be provided." Maryam Faraji, 33, was a master's student in international management and the financial manager of a company in Shahriar, Tehran province, who was arrested during nationwide protests in Iran on January 1st last year and was imprisoned for 10 days in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Ms. Faraji, who was out on bail, had been sentenced to three years of imprisonment and a two-year travel ban. Her lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, first mentioned the possibility of her murder in several tweets a few days ago, referring to her disappearance and stating that "her potential murder is in no way related to the authorities and legal references." Mr. Aghasi also stated in an interview with Radio Farda that Ms. Faraji left her father's house in Sarpol-e Zahab, located in Kermanshah province, heading towards Tehran on July 4th, and since then, there has been no information about her. A few days later, this lawyer announced in a tweet that his client's body had been found and the murder suspect had been arrested, but added that due to the confidentiality of the investigations, it is currently not possible to provide more information. Meanwhile, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi told Jam-e Jam: "The agents discovered Maryam's car in her former fiancé's garden, and he was arrested. The accused had inconsistencies during this period, and all his lies were revealed." He added: "Previously, the police had announced that a burned body discovered near Shahriar belonged to Maryam, which, with the confessions of the murder suspect, was found in the garden." This lawyer pointed out: "The victim and the accused had broken off their engagement for some time, and the main motive for the murder is still unclear." In this regard, the Fardis prosecutor did not provide any explanation on whether the killer's family had collaborated with him in this murder or if he secretly buried the body in his sister's garden.