Femicide in Ravansar: A 14-year-old girl murdered by her brother

Mona Aghai
Age: 14
Murdered: August 24, 2023
Residence: Ravansar, Kermanshah
Origin: Iran
Children: she was a child herself
Perpetrator: brother

According to the Human Rights Network in Kurdistan, a 14-year-old girl named Mona Aghaei was murdered by her brother on August 24 in Ravansar, a city in western Iran. Mona Aghaei, a victim of child marriage, wanted a divorce, but her family opposed it.

In Iran, where the legal age of marriage is only 13, the grim reality of child marriages, often forced, adds to the disturbing picture of femicide and honor killings.

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.