Iranian Authorities Report Arrest of “Killer” of Filmmaker from Baneh and His Brother

Local and security authorities announced that the “killer” of Rahim Zabiheh, a filmmaker from Baneh, and his brother Keyvan Zabiheh have been arrested and confessed to the crime. The Zabiheh brothers’ vehicle veered off the road suspiciously and caught fire last Friday.

Mohammad Felahi, the governor of Baneh County, said on Sunday, December 18 (December 9), that the “killer” of Rahim Zabiheh, a filmmaker from Kurdistan, and his brother Keyvan Zabiheh have been arrested and confessed to the murder.

Iranian domestic media reported the suspicious death of Rahim Zabiheh and his brother the previous day. According to these reports, the Zabiheh brothers’ vehicle veered off the road for unknown reasons on Friday evening near Nizerood village, located 5 kilometers on the Baneh-Armard route, and caught fire after falling into a ravine. According to the same reports, local witnesses had indicated the possibility that the two men were killed before the accident and that the car’s fall into the ravine was staged.

Mohammad Felahi said today: “With the efforts and follow-up of law enforcement forces and with the cooperation of the judicial authority of this county, the killer of Rahim and Keyvan Zabiheh was arrested in less than 24 hours and confessed to the murder.”

According to the Baneh governor, the “killer” cited “financial disputes” as the reason for committing the murder in the course of his “confessions.”

Simultaneously, Abdullah Fathi, the social deputy commander of the police force of Kurdistan Province, also announced: “Through the efforts of police and investigative work carried out, the killer of Rahim Zabiheh, the filmmaker from Baneh, and his brother was arrested on Saturday evening.”

Abdullah Fathi, also referring to the fact that “the identity of this person has been determined and is currently in the custody of judicial authorities,” emphasized: “In the coming days and after the completion of investigative work, the identity of the person will be announced.”

Rasoul Karmi Chegini, the police commander of Baneh, confirmed the previous day that two people were killed inside the vehicle and said: “Law enforcement experts and traffic police immediately arrived at the scene after this incident was reported.”

According to Farsnews Agency, initial investigations revealed that the burned vehicle belonged to Rahim Zabiheh, a filmmaker and director from Baneh, whose ownership document was in his wife’s name.

The previous day, while referring to the deaths of both occupants of the vehicle and the burning of their bodies, it was announced that the cause of the incident had not yet been determined and forensic medicine had not made a definitive statement regarding their identities.

However, Farsnews Agency reported that: “It is being said that both occupants were in the rear section of the cabin and, in other words, in the back seat of the vehicle, and the hands of both were bound from behind, which reinforces the possibility of their murder.”

Rahim Zabiheh and Keyvan Zabiheh belonged to one of Baneh’s prominent families. Rahim Zabiheh, 47 years old, with approximately 20 years of experience in performing arts, made his first short film titled “Hawar” in 2002. His films often dealt with subjects such as violence against women and children as well as victims of war. His short films “Satellite,” “Escape,” “End of War,” “Stress,” and “The Man Who Went for a Walk,” and his feature films “Legendary Land,” “Santa Claus Cried,” and “The Day After,” are among his works that have repeatedly received domestic and international acclaim.

Source: DW