Femicide in Karaj, Iran: A woman was murdered by her husband because of 'honor'

Sodabeh Nowzari
Age: 32
Strangled: September 4, 2023
Residence: Kamaleshahr, Karaj, Alborz
Origin: Iran
Children: 2
Perpetrator: husband Abbas Sajjadi

On the evening of Monday, September 4, a 34-year-old woman named Sodabeh Nowzari was strangled by her husband Abbas Sajjadi in their home in Kamaleshahr, a city near Karaj. Honor is cited as the motive. Sodabeh is the mother of two children, aged 15 and 8.

The day after the murder, Abbas Sajjadi turned himself in to the authorities and revealed the location of the body within their home.

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.