Women’s “Honor” Killings Continued Unabated in Past Year

A year has passed since Sheler Rasouli, a woman from Marivan, Kurdistan province, died after throwing herself from a building as her two young children watched in terror.

A neighbor named Goran Qaderi had lured this 36-year-old mother to his home on the pretense of assisting his ailing wife. 

Qaderi tried to force Rasouli into sexual intercourse and the woman threw herself from the balcony of his home.

Pardis Rabiei, a women's rights activist involved in documenting cases of “honor” killings, spoke to IranWire about the criminal court proceedings against Qaderi. 

This article also tells the stories of some of the Iranian women who lost their lives in the past year, a period marked by the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protest movement.

***

Goran Qaderi is a notorious figure in Marivan. 

According to local sources, he was arrested multiple times on rape charges and was a prime suspect in several murder cases.

The man also has also been involved in robberies, extortion and violent stabbings.

"Goran Qaderi is a malevolent individual widely recognized as a local gangster, as attested by Sheler Rasouli's family and those familiar with his actions,” Pardis Rabiei told IranWire.

"He usually carried a knife, openly intimidated pedestrians and brazenly stole from them,” the activist continued. “Following the complaint lodged by Sheler's family, he subjected them to numerous threats. Although he was briefly detained at one point, his release soon followed, possibly due to his influential connections.”

"His associates, who share his violent tendencies, even desecrated Sheler's tombstone. Eyewitnesses of the incident faced intimidation and threats not to speak out against Goran,” she said, adding that primary witnesses in the case were “forced into retracting their testimonies.”

Zhila Mostajer, a member of the human rights organization Hengaw and a women's rights activist in Kurdistan, previously told IranWire that sources in Marivan informed her group that “this individual has ties to intelligence and security forces." 

What Happened with the Rasouli Family's Complaint?

According to Rabiei, Rasouli's family initiated legal proceedings against Qaderi immediately after the woman’s death. 

Initially, the court appeared to be swayed by Qaderi’s claim that Sheler had intended to commit suicide before entering his home, an assertion vehemently refuted by Sheler's husband, Salam. 

The court sentenced Qaderi to a mere three years in prison for "semi-intentional murder." 

The Silence Left by Sheler's Absence

"Her children were on the street, witnessing how she threw herself from the window and, in the blink of an eye, the entire floor was drenched in blood," Rabiei said.

"Sheler's husband laments the profound silence in their home without his wife. The household now stands eerily quiet and empty. The children stay at the homes of various aunts and uncles each night.”

"He finds it nearly impossible to speak about Sheler without carrying a deep-seated resentment. He feels that Sheler's blood was callously ignored."

According to Rabiei, Sheler and Salam had been living together since 2001. 

How Many Women Have Been Killed since Mahsa's Death?

Women in Marivan, both young and old, descended to the streets following the news of Rasouli's demise, chanting: "We all could be in Sheler's place."

At that point, Mahsa Amini had not yet been killed in police custody, sparking monthslong nationwide protests demanding more freedom and women’s rights.

During these protests, the wave of violence against women did not come to an end.

In September 2022, the murder of five women made headlines in Iranian media. In October, six “honor” killings were reported, followed by six murders of women in November. In December a staggering 11 honor killings were reported, along with three additional murders. February saw eight murders, and in March, four women fell victim to violence within their own families.

In April, seven women met a tragic end, while May witnessed the tragic deaths of 11 more women. In June, nine women suffered a similar fate, and by July, at least 10 gender-based violence-related murders had occurred. 

The names and faces of many of these victims of “honor” killings. This report tells the story of some of them.

Zahra Rezvani

In November 2022, Zahra Rizvani, a 22-year-old young woman from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, was strangled by her husband, who was nearly 20 years older than her. He also inflicted severe burns on her neck using a heated wire.

What’s behind this heinous act? The husband’s opposition to her desire to pursue higher education. 

Zahra's grieving relatives have said she had been accepted into a university midwifery program.

Sahar Latifi

Sahar Latifi was a 23-year-old young woman from Hamadan and the mother of a four-year-old girl. On December 24, 2022, she took her own life by taking aluminum phosphide pills, known as rice pills.

One of her relatives told IranWire that she fell victim to "deep-seated religious, cultural, and patriarchal biases." 

Sahar had grown up in a large family consisting of nine brothers and three sisters from two different mothers.

Several years ago, Sahar was forced to marry a student who had since completed his seminary studies.

The husband, who holds the title of Hojjat al-Islam, harbored a profoundly anti-woman mindset, and Sahar was subjected to domestic violence. 

Zeinab Hariri

In November 2022, Zainab Hariri, a 15-year-old teenager living in the village of Abuhamizeh on the outskirts of Sosangerd, hanged herself. 

"Zeinab found herself under immense pressure to marry her cousin,” a source said. "This was a union she did not desire. The day preceding her suicide, she endured severe physical abuse at the hands of her father and brothers.”

Tuffaheh, Aged 12

On the evening of December 12, a shocking image emerged in the media depicting a girl's lifeless body, soaked in blood and wrapped in a blanket, lying in a street of Ahvaz. 

Initial reports identified the person as Masoumeh Salahavi and indicated that she was brutally stabbed to death by her own father. Her lifeless body was reportedly left outside the residence of a tribal elder. 

Hoda Karimi Sadr, a women’s rights activist in Khuzestan province, later said the girl’s name was Tuffaheh and she was only 12.

“Tuffaheh was 12 and had no ID,” she said. “Her father is a crystal meth addict who steals to pay for his addiction. According to a person close to Tuffaheh, one day when her father was hallucinating under the influence of crystal meth, he imagined that his daughter was a chicken and wanted to cut off her head.”

"After this the family sent her to her aunt in the town of Hamidiyeh, but Tuffaheh returned home after a while. After her parents divorced, Tuffaheh became homeless.”

"When she was roaming the streets she was raped by a man of her father’s age and was later taken to the Welfare Organization. Her grandmother signed a pledge to support her and took her from there. When her father learned about the rape, he killed his daughter and left her body in front of the home of the rapist.”

Raheel, Aged 12

On February 1, 2023, news broke of the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl named Raheel, a resident of Sarkhon village in Bandar Abbas. 

Her 19-year-old brother, Mohammad Amin, was the one who reported the incident. 

However, in an interview with IranWire, Raheel's sister suggested that her brother may have been involved in a secret love affair that Rahel was likely aware of.

Donya Rezaei

On April 16, Danya Rezaei, a 19-year-old girl from Dadrafesh village in Kermanshah, met a tragic end, purportedly at the hands of a relative. 

However, some local residents claimed that Danya had taken her own life.

Shabnam Naseri

On April 18, Shabnam Naseri, a 16-year-old teenage girl from the village of Qezalbalagg, in the city of Divandareh, passed away under mysterious circumstances, just a week after getting engaged. 

An informed source shared with IranWire that "Shabnam and her fiancé were deeply in love. They engaged in a premarital relationship after becoming certain about their desire to be together. 

"Shabnam's fiancé faced severe financial difficulties. Shabnam and her family were aware of this, but they did not anticipate that he would be unable to bring Shabnam into his life and home for three years.”

"They were anticipating a grand wedding celebration, but…constant disagreements ensued between Shabnam's fiancé and her family.”

"Shabnam's family eventually suggested that if he couldn't bring the girl into his home, he should break his engagement. This prospect terrified Shabnam, as she had already lost her virginity, and she believed that a divorce would bring shame upon her and her family."

Mayfat Karimi

Mayfat Karimi, a 31-year-old woman from Hasabsheh village in Salmas city, Kurdistan province, encountered a young man online approximately seven years ago. 

Due to familial opposition to their union, they made the decision to escape to Urmia. 

Their lives met a grim end when Mayfat was killed by her husband. The forensic examination confirmed she had died of suffocation, and her husband was arrested on charges of murder.

In his initial confession, he claimed that Mayfat had prevented him from marrying his deceased brother's wife, who had recently passed away in an accident.

Rojin Azimi

On June 3, an incident unfolded in Akhkand village of Divandareh city, Kurdistan province. Rojin Azimi, 17, was struck multiple times in the face with an ax by her own brother. 

The reason behind this brutal killing was her brother Arash's unfounded belief that Rojin was involved in a relationship with a boy.

According to information gathered by IranWire, roughly a year prior to the killing, Rojin had been involved in a car accident with a boy. 

When her family learned of the incident, Rojin’s father expelled her from the family home, and the girl spent the following year in the care of a well-wisher in Sanandaj. 

Upon her return to her home, gossip and rumors began to circulate among the villagers, relatives and acquaintances, with the family being accused of lacking honor. 

Maryam Suleimani

Maryam Soleimani, a 34-year-old woman from Alvand village in Khoy city, West Azerbaijan, was killed by her father and brothers because photos and videos of her had been published online by a man.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, her brothers and father claimed that Maryam had committed suicide.

Prastoo Shahbazi

In June, reports emerged regarding the murder of Prastoo Shahbazi, a victim of child marriage and the mother of an 18-month-old child.

At the age of 12, she was forcibly wed to a man with a severe drug addiction.

This man tied her hands together and stabbed her to death.

Zilan Ayvaz

In July, a man killed his 18-year-old daughter named Zilan Ayvaz after discovering her romantic relationship with a boy. 

Reports indicated that Zilan was hanged from a ceiling and shot twice by her father.

Bita Shiri

On July 20, a source informed IranWire that a 16-year-old girl named Bita Shiri was killed and her body set ablaze by a man said to be her ex-boyfriend in Rezvanshahr, Gilan province. 

The 21-year-old man, named Amir, who had been engaged to Bita for a time, viciously stabbed the teenage girl before pouring gasoline on her, setting her on fire, and sending a video of the gruesome crime to Bita's mother.

Kobra Yaqoubi

On August 6, Kobra Yaqoubi, a mother of a six-year-old child from Nowshahr city, Mazandaran province, was brutally stabbed by her husband with a knife. 

Kobra succumbed to her injuries a week later. 

The tragedy unfolded two months after Kobra had returned to her family home and initiated a divorce proceedings. 

Sudabeh Norouzi

In September, a 34-year-old woman named Sudabeh Norouzi was killed by her husband in their family home in Kamalshahr, Karaj. 

The man, named Abbas Sajjadi, strangled his wife he accused of infidelity.

Sonia Manavi

Sonia Manavi, a 16-year-old from Maragheh, met a tragic end on August 29 when she was stabbed to death by her 21-year-old fiancé in front of her relatives. 

The killer, Ali Miri, also stabbed her eight-year-old brother before decapitating him. 

Miri was angry because she wanted to break the engagement .

Neda Chenani

Neda Chenani, a young woman from Shosh, fell victim to a heinous crime committed by male family members. 

Based on information obtained by IranWire, the family of Neda's husband spotted a man on their house's roof. 

Neda was suspected of having an affair with the man and sent back to her parents' home, where her father and brother strangled her to death.

The alleged lover later told the court he was a thief and had no connections to Neda.