Narges Achikzei: "One day I will marry a man of my own choosing — otherwise I’ll burn in hell!"

Fifteen years ago, 23-year-old Narges Achikzei from Zeist died in the most painful way imaginable: by fire. The most frequently cited motives are honor-based revenge and a legal dispute, though the police have also suggested a very different possible motive, such as jealousy.

Narges was married under Islamic law and lived with her husband, Haroen Mehraban. She was known to the police for filing reports against her former employer, Ralph Geissen, for stalking, defamation, and slander. At the time, a search for "Narges Achikzei" yielded numerous online accusations of alleged internet fraud involving her and her husband.

The interactive visualization below brings together testimonies that paint a disturbing picture of a shameful honor killing — one that was allegedly covered up by corrupt police officers.

Note: This project is optimized for large screens. On smaller screens, a non-interactive version with images will be displayed.