Ahmadreza Radan, the Chief of Police Strategic Studies, says the acid assaults on women in Isfahan have been “blown out of proportion [which allowed] the enemy to take advantage of it.”
IRNA reports that Radan announced on Monday November 3 that no one has been arrested so far in connection with the assaults but he gave assurances that: “With proper management, the perpetrators of acid throwing in Isfahan will be arrested and punished for their deeds.”
At least four women in Isfahan have been assaulted with acid in the past month, according to official reports. The repeated incidents led to mass protests on the streets of Isfahan and Tehran demanding swift action from authorities to restore public safety and arrest the culprits.
Iranian media coverage of the incidents and the protests has been criticized by conservative factions, who claim an excessive media focus on the incidents is “anti-Revolutionary” and aimed at harming the reputation of the system.
While some ISNA staff members were arrested for their coverage of the incidents and protests, a general warning was issued by the judiciary to all media outlets to refrain from focussing on the acid attacks or face prosecution.
President Rohani has implicitly linked the actions to overt government interference in the enforcement of hijab and Islamic dress codes in public. Meanwhile, conservative factions have rejected any such connections.
