Femicide in Fasa, Iran: Husband Arrested One Hour After Murder

Unnamed woman
Age: 22 years old
stabbed to death: July 8, 2023
Residence: Fasa, Fars
Origin: Iran
Children: None
Perpetrator: Her husband (29 years old)

According to the Fars news agency, a 22-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband in the city of Fasa, located in Fars province. The incident occurred as a result of a family dispute. Neighbors immediately contacted the emergency helpline to report the stabbing, prompting law enforcement officers to be dispatched to the scene for investigation.

The 29-year-old husband was arrested within an hour after the murder.

Colonel Mohammad Hashem Qasem, the police spokesperson, stated that the motive behind the murder was marital quarrels. He further emphasized that such tragic incidents occur due to a lack of anger management. He urged citizens to exercise self-control and encouraged them to seek assistance from trusted individuals or legal authorities to prevent disputes from escalating.

Regrettably, Mohammad Hashem Qasem does not advocate for the abolishment of Article 301 of the Iranian regime’s Islamic Punishment Law, which results in lenient punishments for men who kill their wives or daughters in the name of "honor."

The detrimental impact of Article 301, which leads to an increased number of femicides, is evident in the case of Romina Ashrafi. Romina was beheaded by her father simply because she had a boyfriend. The father committed the murder after his lawyer assured him that the maximum sentence for killing his daughter due to "honor" would only be 3 years. Despite being sentenced to 9 years in prison by the judges, he was released after serving just 2 years. When the judge asked him why he had chosen to kill his daughter instead of Bahman Khavari, the man with whom Romina had eloped, he responded, "If I had killed Bahman Khavari, they would have sought revenge against me. However, this did not happen with my daughter."

Mona Heydari's husband faced no punishment for beheading his wife. Judiciary officials stated that the victim's parents did not seek retribution.

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.