Killing of a 23-Year-Old Woman by Her Suspected Lover with 19 Stab

Wounds

On April 14 th , 2024, in one of the streets in the northern part of Tehran, a young woman was
killed by a man named Pejman with multiple blows.
According to Tabnak, the report stated: “The young man had a mobile phone in his hand, and
the young woman insisted on him returning her phone. However, in a moment of anger, the
man put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a knife, and stabbed the young woman multiple
times before fleeing. Witnesses immediately contacted emergency services and the police, and
the young woman was transferred to the hospital, but the 19 stab wounds led to her death.”
During the investigation, it was revealed that the victim had separated from her husband some
time ago and was living with her child. Some time ago, she became acquainted with a man
named Pejman. In the initial investigations, it was determined that the murder suspect had
hidden in one of the northern cities. After his arrest, the suspect confessed to killing the young
woman. He claimed that he had no knowledge that his beloved had been killed.
He said: “Five months ago, I met her on one of the streets in northern Tehran. Our relationship
was initially limited to phone calls and text messages, but gradually, we started meeting each
other frequently. I realized that I loved her very much, and she was the woman I had been
searching for years.”
He continued: “I became suspicious. Our relationship was going well, but everything changed a
week before the killing. She became distant, and she wouldn’t answer my calls. For every 10
messages, she would reply to one. I started questioning her behavior, and she said she no
longer wanted to continue with me and asked me not to contact her. Our relationship was
good, and we were even planning to get married. But suddenly, everything changed. I felt like
someone else had entered her life, and I had to investigate this matter. I went to her house and
asked her to give me her mobile phone so I could check it. I thought if there was someone else
involved, I would surely see their messages or calls on her phone. But she didn’t want me to see
her phone, and when I forcibly took it, she followed me several streets down.”
One of the reasons for “honor killings” is the sense of ownership over women, which, of course,
stems from the upbringing of boys. Many “honor killings” occur due to suspicion, divorce,
requests for divorce, or rejection of marriage proposals. Reviewing the content of textbooks
and changing them based on criteria and values of gender equality can effectively change men’s
attitudes towards women.

Stop honor Killings Campaign