Honor killing in Piranshahr, Iran: Murder of a young woman, victim of child marriage and forced marriage

Taruskeh Abdollahzadeh
Age: 21
Murdered: October 14, 2023
Residence: Kaseh Karan, Pirananshahr, West Azerbaijan
Origin: Iran
Children: 2
Perpetrators: father, husband, father-in-law

A 21-year-old woman named Taruskeh Abdollahzadeh was brutally murdered in an honor killing by her family in Piranshahr. Taruskeh, a victim of child marriage and forced marriage, was simultaneously attacked and killed by her father, husband, and father-in-law on October 14, 2023.

She was also the mother of two young children and had been forced into marriage with her cousin at an age below 18 due to family pressure. Taruskeh attempted to escape but was caught and taken to her uncle's house, where she was severely beaten. Her hands, legs, head, face, and neck were broken, and she was ultimately hanged with a noose.

The father, along with his brother and cousin, admitted to killing her and accepted responsibility for the crime.

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.