Tehran Prosecutor: The Number of Acid Attacks in Tehran is Not Concerning

Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Tehran, did not consider the number of acid attack incidents in the Iranian capital to be 'concerning.' The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Mr. Dolatabadi stated on Sunday, January 7, that the number of acid attack incidents in Tehran is 'not alarming' and assured the public that 'necessary measures will be taken in this regard.' These statements come at a time when Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the commander of the police force, reported in November of this year that there were 318 cases of acid attacks across the country, but did not mention the exact statistics for Tehran. Since then, there have been continuous reports of new acid attacks in Tehran and other regions of Iran. The Tehran prosecutor also announced on Sunday that the last suspect in the acid attacks in Tehran has not yet been arrested, but other suspects have been apprehended. Meanwhile, Hossein Zolfaqari, the security and police deputy of the Ministry of Interior, stated on the same day that 'all perpetrators of acid attacks across the country' have been arrested. According to Fars News Agency, Mr. Zolfaqari, like the Tehran prosecutor, emphasized that the perpetrator or perpetrators of the acid attacks in Isfahan have not been arrested. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi also mentioned that 'all perpetrators of acid attack incidents except for the Isfahan incident have been arrested.' IRNA added in its report that the last acid attack incident in Tehran occurred on the night of January 4 in Haft Chenar Street, where acid was thrown on the driver of a pickup truck by two motorcyclists. However, Hassan Abbasi, the public relations manager of Tehran's emergency services, stated that during emergency operations on that Friday, there were 'no' cases of acid attacks or transfers to Motahari Hospital for burns. The failure to arrest the perpetrators of the acid attacks two months ago in Isfahan comes at a time when Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam told reporters that questioning about the Isfahan acid attacks creates 'psychological insecurity.' Hossein Zolfaqari, the security deputy of the Ministry of Interior, also reported that '191,000' individuals are being investigated to identify the perpetrators of this 'crime,' but no one has been arrested in this regard. The Tehran public prosecutor also commented on Mahdieh Golroo, stating that 'her crime is security-related' and he cannot comment on it. Meanwhile, the Khabar Online website reported on the 'extension of Ms. Golroo's detention.' Mahdieh Golroo is a women's rights activist who was previously arrested in 2009 and spent nearly two years and four months in prison. She was re-arrested during protests against the acid attacks in Isfahan. Previously, 700 civil activists inside and outside Iran wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic, stating that 'the acid throwers are free in society while Mahdieh Golroo is detained,' urging him to use all legal means and capacities to secure her release. In this context, the head of the Judiciary Commission of the Parliament criticized the failure to identify the perpetrators of the Isfahan acid attacks, 'confessions' of the acid attack suspects to the hospital director, and the passage of two months since the 'Isfahan acid attacks' without the arrest of their perpetrators.