Honor killing in Tehran: Middle-aged woman murdered by her son

Fariba and Saber
Age: -
Shot dead: January 5, 2024
Residence: Tehran
Origin: Iran
Children: 3
Perpetrator: her son

On January 5, 2024, a middle-aged woman was fatally shot by her son in Tehran. Following his arrest, the young man confessed to murdering his mother and another man at their residence, citing 'honor' as his motive.

In a chilling admission, he wrote, 'I killed them because they had betrayed my father.' The mother, who was 32 years younger than her husband, had three children. Despite her plea for a divorce, the father refused to grant her request. Given the significant age difference, the possibility of her being a child bride cannot be ruled out.

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.