Honor killing in Sanandaj, Iran: Woman murdered by her husband

Narmin Pirhaman
Stabbed to death: June 23, 2024
Residence: Sanandaj, Kurdistan
Origin: Iran
Children: 2
Perpetrator: Husband

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, Narmin Pirhaman, a mother of two, was brutally murdered by her husband, identified as Heshmat Kalaei, in Sanandaj, a city in Kurdistan Province in western Iran. This act was committed under the guise of "honor." She was stabbed several times in front of the city's notary's office.

Narmin had come to the location at the request of her husband to finalize the divorce. Between Madar Square and Siros Street, she was attacked and killed with 20 knife stabs. The perpetrator was arrested and cited "family disputes" as the motive for the crime.

The laws in the Islamic Republic of Iran are based on Sharia law, which is why the punishment for husbands who kill their wives is often lenient. Iran should remove Article 301 from its criminal law and bring its laws more in line with those of the international community.

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.