Honor Killing in Piranshahr, Iran: Kani Abdollahi (17) Murdered by Her Father

Kani Abdollahi
Age: 17
Stabbed: January 25, 2025
Residence: Mashkan, Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Father

On Saturday, January 26, 2025, 17-year-old Kani Abdollahi from the village of Mashkan, located in Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan Province, was murdered by her father due to 'honor'.

The father and daughter argued over her friendship with a boy. In a fit of rage, the father stabbed his daughter in the chest. Kani was rushed to the hospital but died there from her severe injuries. The father was arrested and taken into custody.

In Iran, fathers who murder their daughters due to honor killings are never severely punished due to Article 301 of the Penal Code. If the father is found guilty by judges, he will be sentenced to a prison term of three to ten years.

In a 2013 court case, a Tehran court ruled that a father received only six months in prison for stabbing his daughter after a dispute over her marriage.

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.