KEY POINTS

  • The remains of Babak Khorramdin were found in garbage bags in western Tehran
  • His parents were taken into custody for investigation
  • They confessed to stabbing him to death
  • They also confessed to killing their daughter and son-in-law

The remains of a London-based Iranian filmmaker were found in garbage bags after he was brutally killed and dismembered by his parents who were upset over his unmarried status.

The parents of 47-year-old Babak Khorramdin were taken into custody Tuesday, two days after his body parts were found in trash in western Tehran. During interrogation, the father of the victim confessed to killing his son, local news outlet Rokna reported.

The unidentified man reportedly told the officers that he and his wife got into an argument with the victim over his unmarried status. Following the argument, the man drugged his son, stabbed him multiple times before chopping his body. He and his wife then left the remains of their son in the nearest trash can.

Police said they executed a search at their home and found evidence of the murder after which they took the parents into custody, Arab News reported.

According to police reports, during the interrogation, the parents also confessed to killing their daughter and son-in-law. However, no additional details were available.

Born in 1974, the filmmaker completed his master's degree in film studies from Tehran University's Faculty of Fine Arts. He then moved to London and went on to make several movies including "Crevice" and "Oath to Yashar." A few years back, he returned to Iran to teach film studies.

Khorramdin’s murder left his colleagues and friends in shock. Some of them took to social media to express their horror.

"Babak was a filmmaker, and a few years ago I often met him in London's cultural and artistic circles. I heard that he missed his family and had returned to Iran, and now I saw this horrible news, and I cannot believe it. What a dreadful time," Parviz Jahed, a filmmaker and critic, wrote on his Instagram page.

The incident comes days after a 20-year-old gay man was allegedly killed in Iran by his family members in a case of honor killing. The man was beheaded by his family and "bleeding from the neck area" was confirmed as the cause of his death.