This shocking revelation follows another gruesome incident last month when a woman’s blood-soaked body was found concealed in a sports bag in Tehran’s Azadi Square.
The horrifying trend of honor killings was underscored by the heart-wrenching case of 28-year-old Maryam Soltani. A mother of three children, Soltani was brutally murdered by her father and brothers in a village in Khoy, following the release of a private video. This incident further exposed the deeply entrenched societal issue of forced child marriages, as Soltani herself was married off at the age of 15.
A measure of societal security, particularly psychological security, is reflected in crime rates, especially those related to domestic violence. Recent data suggest that women are more frequently the victims of domestic homicides and honor killings in Iran.
There has been a significant uptick in honor killings, particularly in Iran’s western provinces, in 2021-2022, contributing to around 10% of honor killings globally.
The rising spate of honor killings and domestic violence in Iran is fueled by regressive clerical laws that sanction misogynistic practices. These laws grant parents the right to force their daughters into child marriages, allow men to abuse women, and seemingly provide tacit approval for acts of torture and murder against women. As a result, an estimated 450 women fall victim to honor killings and domestic murders annually, perpetrated by their husbands, fathers, or brothers.
The Iranian regime’s failure to enact laws ensuring women’s security and criminalizing violence against women is exacerbating the situation. This negligence, coupled with an ingrained misogynistic ideology, paints women as second-class citizens and fosters a culture of brutal behavior towards them.
While individual perpetrators might face punishment, the overarching structure perpetuates the cycle of violence against women. It is clear that without tackling the deeply entrenched misogynistic ideologies, the horrifying trend of honor killings and domestic violence in Iran will continue unabated.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
