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The Iranian film director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife Wahideh Mohammadifar in Tehran (2015)
Photo: Abdolvahed Mirzazadeh/dpa
In Iran, a man has been sentenced to death for the murder of director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife. Two other suspects were each sentenced to 36 years in prison and lashes, reported the Misan web portal, which is linked to the judiciary. A fourth man received eight years in prison in connection with the murder of Mehrjui and Wahideh Mohammadifar. The verdicts can be appealed.
The murder of the couple in mid-October caused great consternation and disbelief in Iran. According to police reports, the couple was killed with a sharp object in their villa. A possible motive for the crime was a dispute with a former gardener.
A political motive cannot be ruled out either, as the artist couple had commented critically on social developments. However, the exact background remains unclear to this day. Hundreds of people and many famous personalities from the Iranian film scene attended the memorial event in the Iranian capital Tehran.
“The Cow” made him internationally known
With his film "The Cow" from 1969, Mehrdschui won the audience award at the Venice Film Festival in 1971 and thus became internationally known in the scene. According to anecdotes, the film also convinced the then religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Mehrdschui was considered a pioneer of the New Iranian Film; he directed a total of 20 films; his last project (Santūrī) was 17 years ago.
A report published after the murder by the newspaper “Etemad” also caused a stir. In it, Mohammadifar described being threatened in a previously unknown interview before her death. The judiciary subsequently summoned two senior media representatives. Ten suspects were arrested after the murder.
bam/dpa