Honor Killing in Khoy, Iran: Setareh Moesipoor Shot Dead by Her Brother-in-Law

Setareh Mousipour
Age: 18
Shot Dead: April 21, 2025
Residence: Khoy, West Azerbaijan
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Brother-in-law

On Monday, April 21, 2025, 18-year-old Setareh Moesipoor was shot dead in the village of Gogord, located in the West Azerbaijan province. She was struck seven times by bullets from a firearm. The suspected perpetrator is her brother-in-law.

Setareh had been forced into marriage at a young age two years earlier. According to sources close to her, she had been under constant physical and verbal pressure from her husband's family since then, because she had not borne any children.

Three days before her death, she left her husband’s house and sought protection at her parents’ home. There, she asked for help due to ongoing threats and violence. A source close to the family stated that she was — under pressure from her relatives and out of fear of reputational damage — sent back to her husband’s home.

Shortly after her return, she was murdered. The suspected perpetrator was arrested, but according to the same source, was released the next day with the approval of the victim’s grandfather.

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.