Two years have passed since the emergence of a movement with the slogan Woman, Life, Freedom. Unlike previous social movements rooted in economic, livelihood, or political concerns, the 2022 uprising originated from the government's restrictions on personal freedoms, particularly women's clothing.
Media reports say that at least 23 women have been killed in different Iranian cities since August. At least 17 of these women were murdered by close relatives, including husbands, fathers, and sons, 13 women were killed by their husbands, two by their fathers, and two by their sons. The remaining six women were murdered by unknown individuals.
In these reports, one case was described as an "honor killing," while the motives behind 17 of the femicides were attributed to "family disputes." According to Hengaw, a human rights organization, two women were murdered during robberies, one was killed with the intent of rape, and two others were murdered for reasons yet unknown.
Majedeh Khatoonbeigi: Killed by Her Father's Knife
IranWire has learned that Majedeh Khatoonbeigi, a young woman born in 1988 and from western Ilam, was murdered by her father on August 28.
Majedeh, the eldest child in her family, was married and worked at a pharmacy. She was forced into marriage at a young age due to severe family problems, but it did not offer her the escape she had hoped for.
Pardis Rabiei, a women’s rights activist, spoke to IranWire about Majedeh’s life: “Majedeh’s father struggled with severe addiction, and her mother had suffered nervous breakdowns due to years of family strife. Majedeh, much younger than her husband, had been coerced into marriage in an attempt to escape the toxic atmosphere of her parents’ home.
"There was no love or affection between her and her husband, and this made her long for a divorce. She repeatedly expressed that she did not love her husband and wanted to leave, but the traditions of Ilam did not allow her to make decisions for her own life.”
Rabiei further explained that Majedeh’s husband often complained to her father, urging him to pressure Majedeh into staying in the marriage, regardless of the circumstances.
“In Ilam,” Rabiei said, “honor and dignity are still paramount, and women are often the victims of clan rivalries. If there is a dispute between families, women are defamed as a form of revenge. Majedeh, an independent and capable woman, was also slandered in this way.”
Recalling the day of the murder, Rabiei shared, “A few days before, Majedeh’s husband had visited her father, urging him to stop Majedeh from divorcing him. Divorce is a red line in their culture – if a woman divorces, rumors and shame follow her. Here, even when a woman is killed, people often side with the man, because ‘honor’ comes first.”
Influenced by his son-in-law, Majedeh’s father went to her home, sent the children away, and then attacked his daughter while she slept. “Majedeh took sedatives due to the stress of her life,” Rabiei said. “At that moment, she was asleep and did not notice her father’s arrival. He stabbed and killed her in her sleep, then calmly drove back home. He showered and told his wife to postpone her eye surgery, saying, ‘I killed Majedeh, and now I’m going to hand myself over [to the police].’”
Eyewitnesses recounted that no one even cleaned the blood from Majedeh’s home. The house remains locked and abandoned. Her two daughters now live with their grandparents. There was no funeral ceremony for Majedeh – no death announcement was printed, no commemoration was held.
Mobina Zainivand: Killed by Her Father's Gun
On the same day that Majadeh Khatoonbeigi was murdered by her father, 17-year-old Mobina Zainivand was also killed by her father in Majin of Ilam province.
Eyewitnesses told IranWire that on August 28, Mobina was at her grandmother's house when a violent argument erupted over her marriage and her visit with a boy she liked. Mobina insisted that she had not seen him recently.
According to one witness, "Two days before the incident, the boy's family had formally visited her uncle to propose marriage. Rahim Khan, Mobina’s father, demanded that the boy come to meet him."
Despite the couple’s year-long relationship, Mobina's father had repeatedly rejected the proposal. IranWire has learned that Rahim Khan’s opposition stemmed from a longstanding feud between the two families. On the day of the incident, Rahim Khan received word that the boy’s family had come again to propose. An argument sparked between Mobina’s cousin and the boy over the proposal. Fearing for her safety, Mobina fled to a neighbor’s house.
Rahim Khan, echoing the claims of another father in a similar case, reportedly said, “I have nothing to do with Mobina. Just tell her to come home."
As soon as Mobina returned home, her father followed her with a hunting rifle and, in front of several people, shot her.
Mobina, an intelligent girl, had been denied the opportunity to continue her education due to the distance between her village and Ilam. Her father had dismissed her education, saying, "What’s the point of educating a girl? What you’ve learned so far is enough."
Videos of her burial show local women performing traditional mourning rituals, lamenting her youth and the loss of her life.
🎥 در ویدیوهای خاکسپاری و تشیع پیکر مبینا زنان به رسم زاگرسنشینان شین میکنند و مور میآیند و برای جوانمرگی کل میکشند.
— ایران وایر (@iranwire) September 17, 2024
پردیس ربیعی، از فعالان حقوق زنان که این ویدیو را در اختیار ایرانوایر قرار داده است میگوید: «ماشین نعشکش که رسید، خواهر بزرگتر مبینا دنبال ماشین میدوید و… pic.twitter.com/5EeCVwkge9
Pardis Rabiei, who provided the video to IranWire, said: "When the hearse arrived, Mobina’s older sister ran after it, scratching her face in grief. The police, intelligence, and judiciary allowed Rahim Khan to participate in his daughter’s funeral. In that moment, he was not just the father but the man who had taken his child’s life."
Masoumeh Asadbeigi: Killed by Her Ex-Husband's Knife
In early August, news emerged about the death of 49-year-old Masoumeh Asadbeigi in the Narmak neighborhood of Tehran. Masoumeh was fatally attacked by her ex-husband right outside her clothing boutique.
Sources indicate that Masoumeh was stabbed multiple times in the chest and head.
Masoumeh had been separated from her husband for 13 years and had custody of their daughter since she was eight years old. Her son also chose to live with her after turning 18 last year. This arrangement angered her ex-husband, leading him to take violent action against her.
A neighbor of Masoumeh described her as a calm and routine person, who went to her boutique with her daughter daily and returned home after work.
Masoumeh’s son revealed that his father was a violent man who had abused him severely. The abuse was a key factor in Masoumeh's decision to separate and her children’s choice to live with her.
He recounted, “When I turned of legal age and chose to stay with my mother, my father initially agreed, due to not having a stable home. However, he later regretted his decision and demanded me to return to him. Despite being in my final year of studies, I insisted on staying with my mother to complete my education.
"He tried to cause trouble outside our house, even attempting to force entry with keys he mistakenly thought were for my mother’s home. He was found with two knives when police were called," the son said.
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