A man killed his wife in Mashhad because of ‘honor’

Unnamed Woman
Age: -
Strangled: September 28, 2023
Residence: Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan
Origin: Iran
Children: 1
Perpetrator: husband

A man killed his wife in Mashhad, Iran, on September 28, 2023, citing 'honor' and disloyalty as motives. Following numerous disputes, he strangled and dismembered her in their bathroom. He then concealed a portion of her body in a black nylon inside a suitcase and traveled to Tehran, where he surrendered to the police. After his arrest, he stated: "My wife and I have a five-year-old child. We had a year and a half-long disagreement, and my wife betrayed me."

It is important to note that many men cite 'honor' as the motive for their actions partially due to Article 301 of the Iranian penal law, which often results in lenient sentences for those who murder their wives under the pretext of 'honor'.

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.