User Reactions to the 'Horrific' Murder of Dariush Mehrjui and His Wife: A Reminder of the 'Chain Murders' of the 1990s

Reactions to the murder of Dariush Mehrjui, the famous Iranian filmmaker, and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadi Far, a writer and assistant director, continue, with some recalling the suspicious death of Kiumars Pourahmad in recent months, considering it a continuation of the 'chain murders' of dissidents. In the ongoing reactions to the murder of the filmmaker couple, Maryam Shakirani, a journalist, has examined the media coverage of the incident, calling it a 'strange event' and stating: 'Farazdili tweeted around 9 PM that Afghan migrants attempted to rob Mehrjui's wife. The newspaper Etemad published its front page at 11:55 PM with one of the main headlines interviewing Mehrjui's wife about the theft of a santur from their home! The Basimchi Media channel and Saberin News were the first media outlets to report the murder of Dariush Mehrjui. What time? Around 12:45 AM; other media outlets published the news citing Tasnim around midnight.' Shahin Najafi, a protest singer, described the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife as 'very shocking news' and asked, 'Is this a continuation of the chain murders?' Emadeddin Baghi, a journalist and researcher, regarded the 'horrific murder of Dariush Mehrjui, a prominent Iranian filmmaker, and his wife' as 'exactly in the style of the murder of Dariush Forouhar and his wife,' adding, 'There is definitely a clear message in reminding us of the chain murders of the 1990s.' He emphasized, 'By evoking the murders of the two Dariushes and their wives in a similar manner, what message are they trying to convey? Hastiness in judgment can fulfill the sinister goals of the murderers.' Baghi recommended that 'relevant authorities, from the very beginning, involve trusted individuals and organizations in the investigation process to pave the way for accepting the results of the investigation and to prevent the case from becoming complicated and dubious, which is what the criminal murderers desire.' Sina Ghanbarpour, a journalist, pointed out the characteristics of the murder location, saying: 'Zibadashteh is not a neighborhood where just anyone can roam. This neighborhood is home to individuals who are government and military officials. It is not in the middle of nowhere.' According to him, the entrance to the central part of this neighborhood 'has two gates. The system of these neighborhoods is such that even if a caretaker has a guest, the villa owner must first approve, and the northern Zibadashteh is 'equipped with surveillance cameras.' Ghanbarpour emphasized that 'the perpetrator or perpetrators must have gone through some prerequisites to enter the neighborhood, and if we assume that the perpetrator or perpetrators were the same individuals that the late Vahideh Mohammadi Far mentioned in her Instagram, then their history of movement in this neighborhood can be traced.' Amin Sabati, an analyst, recalled the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far as reminiscent of the 'chain murders,' stating, 'You know the clerics, as soon as the world gets chaotic, they start to act.' Saeed Parsa, a writer, also stated, 'After the suicide-claimed murder of Kiumars Pourahmad, in the absence of free journalism, the analysis of Kiumars' murder was buried, and now the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife may also be buried. We apparently face a new project of chain murders, and we just don't know how to connect the news.' Hamid Gharib, a journalist, said, 'You have beaten us with all this security; was this your security?!' The murder of 84-year-old Dariush Mehrjui and his 54-year-old wife Vahideh Mohammadi Far in their private villa in Zibadashteh, Fardis County, has added more dimensions and ambiguities to this incident with the simultaneous publication of an interview with Mehrjui's wife by Etemad newspaper. Authorities from the Alborz police have rejected any speculation, calling this murder a 'brutal act.' Additionally, Fars News Agency reported, citing an informed source, that by noon on Sunday, 'four suspects have been arrested,' which according to this news agency, 'none of them are foreign nationals.' Hamid Hedayat, the commander of the Alborz police, stated, 'This murder was committed by unknown individuals, with cold weapon strikes to the neck and body parts, but the motive for the murder is still unclear.' He said, 'The murder of Mr. Mehrjui and his wife was reported to the police by the late Mehrjui's daughter in the late hours of Saturday night, October 14, and the officers are investigating the details of this murder.'