Victim of a Child Marriage and “honor” in Ahvaz

By Rezvan Moghadam, Spokeswoman for the Stop honor Killings Campaign,

On Saturday, February 5^th, 2022, in Ahvaz, a young man, in front of the people frightened eyes, while holding his 17-years old wife’s decapitated head, who was also his cousin, in one hand and holding a bloody dragger in another hand, walked around the Kasaei Square in Ahvaz and displayed the head with a happy and smiling face. The killer then dropped his wife’s decapitated head on the street and fled the scene.

According to news published on social media, the victim had fled to Turkey, but was returned to Iran by her husband and was killed by her husband and her brother-in-law, who were both her cousins. At the age of 12, Mona Heydari was forced by her family to marry her cousin Sajjad Heydari, and had a three-year-old son.

Perpetrators of this horrific crime were arrested few hours later after their hideout was located by police department detective.

The killing of women and girls as “honor” killings in Iran are beyond red situation. Every day, more than two women in Iran are brutally murdered by their male family members, and the Islamic government has so far taken no practical or immediate action to prevent the “honor” killings, and seems there is no will to change the laws that reproduce the violence.

It is also unfortunate that in past 43 years, the Islamic State has not taken the slightest step not only for eliminating discrimination against women, but has also intensified violence against women by passing discriminatory laws. Violence against children has become common through the propaganda, promotion and legalization of child marriage. A girl who was brutally murdered in Ahvaz by her cruel husband is a clear example of the consequences of the Islamic regime’s misogynistic policies in Iran.

Stop Honor Killings Campaign invites everyone to share their additional information with us_.