Honor Killing in Ahvaz, Iran: Young woman murdered in front of her husband by her brothers

Unnamed woman
Age: 27
Stabbed to death: April 7, 2024
Residence: Ahvaz, Khuzestan
Origin: Iran
Children: -
Perpetrators: Brothers

On Sunday, April 7, 2024, a young woman in Ahvaz was brutally murdered in her home by her brothers. She was stabbed to death, allegedly motivated by honor.

The brothers killed the woman in front of her husband and assaulted him, when he tried to intervene, before fleeing.

Twenty-four hours after the murder, one of the brothers surrendered himself to the police, confessing to his sister's murder. The deceased woman's husband was also arrested on suspicion of involvement in the crime.

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.