18-year-old Donya Rezai murdered by family members in "honor killing" in Iran

Donya Rezai
born: 2003
murdered: April 17, 2023
Residence: Darrafesh, Khanum Abad, Kermanshah
Origin: Iran
Children: none
Perpetrators: her father and brother
Excuse: "honor"

On April 17, 2023, 18-year-old Donya Rezai was murdered by her relatives in the village of Darrafesh, Khanum Abad in Kermanshah province, Iran. According to Iran International, she was the victim of an "honor killing."

Neighbors point to her father and brother as perpetrators.

Honor killings, a practice in which individuals are murdered by family members for alleged honor violations, is illegal in Iran. However, Article 301 of the Penal Code allows for reduced sentences for fathers who kill their daughters under certain circumstances. In 2013, a father in Tehran received only six months in prison for killing his daughter after an argument over her marriage.

This tragic incident shows that femicide is an ongoing problem in Iran and that women need better legal protection.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.