Kurdistan Human Rights Network

Trouskeh Abdollahzadeh, a 21-year-old mother of two children, was murdered by her father in Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan Province, on 15 October. The young woman, who was forced to marry her cousin at the age of 13, was killed for allegedly "having telephone contact with a man". Her uncle, who is also her father-in-law, was also allegedly involved in the crime. Abdollahzadeh was killed by beating, strangulation and...

Shahin Ebrahimzadeh, a 21-year-old woman, was murdered by her father and uncle in the vicinity of the village of Gulan in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province, on 5 October. According to statistics compiled by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), at least 14 cases of femicide committed by male family members have been recorded in Kurdistan since the beginning of the new Iranian year on 21...

Fatemeh Mohammad-Panahi, a 17-year-old child bride, was shot dead by her husband and two stepbrothers on 29 September in the village of Marghan in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province. Mohammad-Panahi, who had been forced into a child marriage with her cousin, expressed her wish to separate from him just one year after their union, a decision opposed by her family. As a result, the young girl was...

Mahya Naderi, a 14-year-old girl, was shot dead by her cousin with a hunting rifle in Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah province. According to reports, the incident took place with the knowledge of Mahya's father and was allegedly linked to her "romantic involvement with a boy and running away from home". Nadari's body was buried in Sarpol-e Zahab on 8 September. According to statistics compiled by the Kurdistan Human...

Mona Aghaei, a 14-year-old girl, was killed by her brother on 24 August in Ravansar, Kermanshah province, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. Aghaei, a victim of forced child marriage, had been trying to get a divorce, a decision that was strongly opposed by her family. According to statistics compiled by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), there have been at least 11 documented...

Zilan Ayvaz, a 15-year-old girl, was shot and killed by her father, Abdolsalam Ayvaz, on 7 July in the village of Ziveh in Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan province, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. The father severely beat his daughter before shooting her twice. He later turned himself in to the police. Abdolsalam Ayvaz has a history of verbal and physical violence against his family...

Two women in Ilam and Divandarreh have been the victims of killings by men in their own families in recent days. Rozhin Azimi, 18, was killed by her brother with a hammer blow in the village of Akh Kand in Divandarreh, Kurdistan province, on 3 June. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Azimi's murder was a case of "honour killing". On the same day,...

Parastou Shahbazi, an 18-year-old mother of one, was murdered by her husband on 29 May in the village of Miraki in Dehgolan, Kurdistan province. Shahbazi was a victim of child marriage, forced by her family to marry at a very young age. Her husband, Payam Sh., was unemployed and in a bad financial situation. At least four cases of femicide have been recorded in different cities...

Iran executed prisoner Kioumars Zarghami at Saqqez Prison, in Kurdistan province, on 5 March over the "premeditated murder" of his wife. On 8 June 2021, the burnt body of Zarghami's wife, Golaleh Sheikhi, was found near the village of Chapan-e Sofla in Saqqez. Zarghami was arrested in Astara, Gilan province, on charges of murdering his wife after the victim's family filed a complaint. Later, Zarghami confessed under...