Honor Killing in Eyvan-e Gharb, Iran: Arezoo Hassani stabbed to death by her husband

Arezoo Hassani
Stabbed to death: May 19, 2024
Residence: Eyvan-e Gharb, Ilam
Origin: Iran
Children: -
Perpetrator: Husband

On May 19, 2024, in Eyvan-e Gharb (Eyvan), a district in Ilam province, a woman named Arezoo Hassani was tragically murdered by her husband because of 'honor'. Arezoo's body had 100 stab wounds. The killer, identified as 40-year-old Javad Jafari, put his wife's body in the trunk of his car and took it to the police station, where he turned himself in.

Iranian judges punish men who kill their wives because of "honor" leniently due to Sharia-inspired laws, such as article 301 of the Islamic Penal Code. Men who consider killing their wives are not sufficiently deterred by the Islamic Penal Code because most know that the sentences imposed for killing a wife or daughter for "honor" range from 3 to 10 years in prison. If the family forgives the murderer, he may not even have to go to prison. Other countries, such as Syria, have abolished laws that punish perpetrators of honor-related violence more leniently to bring their laws more in line with those of the international community.

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.