Trial Ends over Killing of Top Iranian Film Director and Wife

The trial of four defendants accused of involvement in the killing of Iranian cinematographer Dariush Mehrjui and his wife Vahideh Mohammadifar concluded after just two hearings.

The chief justice of Alborz province made the announcement on January 19, two days after the trial’s opening at the First Branch of Alborz Criminal Court.

Journalists were not allowed into the courtroom during the trial.

According to the judiciary’s official news agency, the defendants were formally charged during the second and final court session. 

In the first hearing, the lawyer of Mehrjui's family reportedly pointed to multiple deficiencies in the probe and called for further investigation of the case.

The prosecution replied that the investigation is complete and that all the alleged deficiencies have been addressed.

The four defendants are facing charges including "participation in intentional murder," "intentional assault," "participation in robbery," "committing violence," "threatening with a knife," and "concealing evidence of a crime." 

Mehrjui and Mohammadifar were stabbed to death at their Karaj villa, near Tehran, on the evening of October 14, 2023. 

In November last year, the chief justice of Alborz province announced the indictment of the four suspects, stating that they were motivated by "revenge due to personal enmity and differences," as well as "theft."

Mohammadifar's brother Akbar strongly disagreed with this narrative, characterizing the killings as a "premeditated and sophisticated act of intimidation." 

He claimed that the accused acted "under the orders of another individual or individuals."

The Etemad newspaper has reported that the main suspects in the case included teenagers as young as 14 and 15.