Isfahan Acid Attack Case Closed Without Arresting Suspect
Nearly four years after the acid attack on the faces of four women and girls in Isfahan, the lawyer representing the acid attack victims announced the closure of the case.
According to ISNA news agency, Hassan Abbas Alizadeh said on Wednesday, July 27 that his clients in this case had sought compensation, which was paid from the “blood money fund of the state treasury” after the suspect was not found.
According to this lawyer, if the suspect or suspects in the acid attack case are found, legal proceedings will be conducted.
The announcement of the closure of the acid attack case without arresting the suspect comes as speculation had emerged about these women and girls becoming victims due to the hijab issue.
In late October 2014, Iran’s deputy police chief confirmed that four acid attacks on women and girls had occurred. Reports indicated that all victims were behind the wheel of their cars and their hijab was not complete.
Some media outlets and social media users also expressed doubt about finding the suspect after months, writing that identifying the perpetrator should not be difficult given the abundance of cameras on the streets.
These acid attacks and the failure to find the perpetrator led to protests and gatherings of hundreds of people in Isfahan and Tehran, who protested against the sense of insecurity among women. Protesters chanted slogans against promoting virtue and preventing vice, acid attacks, and forced hijab.
Following these gatherings, some Iranian security officials sharply criticized the protesters and attacked the media for their coverage of the protests.
A number of protest participants, including human rights activists Mehrdiyeh Golroo and Narges Mohammadi, as well as a number of journalists and photographers were arrested.
Following these events, the U.S. representative to the United Nations condemned the acid attack on women in Isfahan, and international human rights bodies called for the release of detained protesters.
Source: Voice of America
