Honor Killing in Varamin, Iran: A woman stabbed to death by her husband

Fariba
Age: 29
stabbed to death: July 20, 2023
Residence: Varamin, Tehran province
Origin: Iran
Children: -
Perpetrator: husband

On July 20, 2023, the 29-year-old Fariba was stabbed to death by her husband in Varamin, Tehran province. He reported the murder of his wife to the police in a phone call.

Regarding his motive, he said, "Fariba and I got married four years ago, and although we had our differences, they were not so great that I would want to kill her. Until a few months ago, when I became aware of her suspicious behavior, I was subtly watching her. To my disbelief, I realized that she was having suspicious relationships, not only with my sister's husband but also with my acquaintance. I was deeply shocked and warned her to be careful about her behavior. But when I saw that she did not stop these actions, I stabbed her with a knife."

It should be noted that this murderer's story is not necessarily the truth. The reason for this is the unfair legal system in Iran because every Iranian man who considers killing a female family member is familiar with the fact that if you cite "honor" as a motive, the punishment is incredibly low. An honor killing in Iran often carries a sentence of 3 years in prison, and if the victim's family forgives the murderer, then no punishment follows. In this case, Fariba's family is not forgiving. In court, they demand the death penalty for the murderer.

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.