Jana Saadoui, child marriage victim, murdered by her husband in Khoy, Iran

Jana Saadoui
Age: 19
Murdered: 16 May 2026
Residence: Tarimish, Khoy
Origin: Iran
Children: 2
Perpetrator: husband

Jana Saadoui, a 19-year-old woman from the village of Tarimish in the Qatur district of Khoy County (West Azerbaijan, Iran), was murdered on Tuesday, 16 May 2026 by her husband. She had been married at the age of 17 and was the mother of two young children at the time of her death, including a baby only six months old.

According to local sources, Jana was subjected to severe physical violence by her husband, which led to her death. After the murder, the perpetrator cut off one of her fingers and hanged her body in an attempt to stage the crime as a suicide and conceal what had truly happened. However, forensic investigations and inconsistencies in the statements confirmed that it was a case of murder.

The husband was initially arrested by the police, but after a temporary release he managed to flee. He remains at large.

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.