Murder of a 23-Year-Old Woman by Her 17-Year-Old Brother

On Thursday, April 25th, 2024, a 23 years old woman named Sajedeh, from the village
of Koor Deh in the suburbs of Mashhad, was killed by her 17-year-old brother for
alleged honor-related reasons.

According to Hamshahri Online, the family of the young woman, after transferring the
body to the hospital, insisted on receiving her remains immediately. However, forensic
medicine determined that the young woman had been killed. Initially, the victim’s father
was interrogated, stating, “My daughter divorced her husband some time ago, but
people’s words and accusations about her behavior never ended, to the extent that
even my son’s friends humiliated him for his sister’s behavior. For this reason, my son,
named Hanzeleh, got angry and killed his sister in the stable of the villa where I work.”
Subsequently, detectives went to Sajedeh’s brother, Hanzeleh, who is a 17-year-old
teenager, and arrested him while he was sitting next to the villa where the crime took
place, lost in his thoughts.
This 17-year-old teenager confessed to killing his sister after being transferred to
Mashhad. He attributed his motive for committing the murder to the reproaches and
humiliations he received from some people due to his sister’s “unconventional behavior”
and to prevent his sister’s divorce from tarnishing their reputation. He suffocated his
sister in a rural stable.
Hanzeleh explained the details of the killing to Judge Dr. Safari: “When my sister
entered the villa’s stable, I followed her inside, and while I was putting a noose around
her neck, I asked her about her ‘indecent behaviors,’ to which she answered arrogantly.
So, to prevent her from dishonor, I suffocated her and then contacted my father.”
From the March 21st, 2024 to April 25th 2024, in less than 40 days, at least 17 cases of
“honor killings” have been recorded on the Stop “honor” Killings” Campaign website.

Stop honor Killings Campaign