Honor killing in Tehran, Iran: Father kills his young daughter

Nameless woman
Age: 21
Stabbed to death: December 9, 2023
Residence: Tehran
Origin: Iran
Children: None
Perpetrator: Father (51)

On Saturday, December 9, 2023, a 51-year-old man in Tehran confessed to killing his 21-year-old daughter. The reason given was her decision to live independently and marry a man she met on the Internet, a decision her father was vehemently opposed to.

About eight months ago, the young woman chose to live a single life. Before this, she was married to another man, but that ended in divorce.

Although the father had reservations about the new man, he still gave his daughter a dowry. She took this dowry to the man's home without notice.

Concerned for her safety, the father reported her disappearance to the police, which led to the discovery of her whereabouts. The situation escalated, resulting in a heated argument in which the father stabbed his daughter several times with a knife. He went home and told his wife about the murder, who encouraged him to turn himself in to the police.

It is important to note that the father's story does not necessarily reflect the true circumstances. In Iran, a father convicted of murdering his daughter for "honor" can receive up to 3 years in prison under Article 301 of the Iranian Penal Code.

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.