Femicide in Piranshahr, Iran: Young woman burned alive by her husband

Leili Paimazd
Age: 32
Burned alive: June 16, 2024
Residence: Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan
Origin: Iran
Children: 2 daughters
Perpetrator: Husband

Early Sunday morning, on June 16, 2024, Leili Paimazd, a 32-year-old resident of the village of Khoranj in the suburbs of Piranshahr, succumbed to severe burns (over 90% of her body was burned) in Khomeini Hospital in Urmia. She had been set on fire by her husband in one of the garden houses near this city four days earlier, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

Leili, a mother of two daughters, had returned to her husband after mediation by community elders, following a period of separation where she had stayed with her parents due to ongoing conflicts. On the day of the incident, her husband, Morad Rasul Rondeh, poured gasoline and set her on fire in the garden house where they worked.

After the heinous act, Morad left her burned body in front of her parents' house and fled. Leili's relatives transported her to a hospital in Urmia by helicopter, but she succumbed to her injuries after four days.

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.