Honor killing in Mako, Iran: Woman and 11-year-old child murdered by the father of the family

Safa Mostafazadeh and Danial Alizadeh
Age: 31
Shot to death: January 18, 2025
Residence: Maku, West Azerbaijan
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Husband/Father

On January 18, 2025, a man in Maku, in West Azerbaijan province, murdered his wife and 11-year-old son, identified as Safa Mostafazadeh and Danial Alizadeh.

Safa Mostafazadeh intended to separate from her husband, Yaser Alizadeh, but despite her many efforts, she did not receive support from those around her for a divorce. Each time, family members and her husband mediated and sent her back home.

Hours before the murder, several neighbors heard the couple’s young son begging his father, "Don’t kill her," but they did not intervene, believing that "family disputes are a private matter."

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.