Romina Ashrafi: Iran should abolish Article 301 of the Penal Code

Abolish article 301 of the Penal Code

In Syria, it was decided in March 2020 to abolish the section of the law that ensured that honour killings were punished less severely than 'ordinary' murders.

We argue that Iran should follow Syria's example and remove article 301 from the Penal Code.

In Germany, Reza Ashrafi would probably have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the beheading of his daughter, also taking into account feelings of social unrest.

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.