Gruesome Killing of Aida Heydarian by Her Husband in Sanandaj

On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province, Aida
Heydarian was brutally murdered by her husband with multiple stab wounds.
Aida Heydarian, 30 years old and an employee at the Red Cross Pharmacy in
Sanandaj, was gruesomely killed by her husband, Aram Zarei. Aida had been married
for four years. According to a source familiar with the Stop “honor” Killings Campaign,
the Red Cross Pharmacy has been closed for two days, but no condolence or memorial
notice has been published, which is customary for the death of a colleague. This source
continued, stating that Aida had worked at the pharmacy for several years and was
known as a prominent, well-behaved, disciplined, and kind employee. Her colleagues
noted that Aida had been repeatedly threatened by her husband, Aram Zarei. Aida had
filed for divorce, and despite having a mutual divorce case, her husband refused to
agree. Two years ago, Aida had also requested a divorce but returned home due to the
insistence of her husband and family. Recently, their arguments had escalated because
Aram was a suspicious man who often followed her and even frequently visited the
pharmacy to check Aida’s arrival and departure times. He knew her whereabouts and
schedule, constantly monitoring and creating fear and insecurity for Aida at work and
home. Before being murdered, Aida endured not only physical violence but also
psychological torture from her husband.
Aram Zarei had a history of beating and threatening to kill Aida. A few days before the
crime, he claimed to be out of town. Aida, thinking her husband was not at home, went
to their shared residence intending to collect some clothes and personal items. The
killer, always keeping track of Aida, knew her exact times of entry and exit from home
and work. He attacked Aida and killed her with over 20 stabs to vital parts of her body.
The source further explained that a crucial legal aspect of mutual divorce is that once
the request is registered in the judicial system, it takes about two weeks for review. This
incident occurred exactly one week after the divorce request was filed, during the
waiting period for both parties to receive the summons. As far as is known, Aida did not
have a lawyer and was staying at her parents’ house, commuting from there to work.
During this time, Aram Zarei decided to kill Aida before the divorce was finalized, fearing
he would lose control over her.
It is noteworthy that Aida’s husband, after committing the crime, attempted suicide and
is currently hospitalized in Kowsar Hospital in Sanandaj, with his condition deteriorating.
The killing of women by their male relatives has become easier due to discriminatory
laws against women in the Islamic Republic.
Improper education has led men to view women as property that they can treat as they
please. Sanandaj has not forgotten the murder of Shahin Goyli, a mother of a 14-year-

old child, who was burned and killed by her husband, Mehran, or the murder of Sargol
Akbari, 42, by her husband, Erfan Rashidi, with hammer blows.
In spring 2024 alone, over 50 murders of women, mostly “honor” killings, have been
documented by the Stop “honor” Killings Campaign. However, governmental media, to
avoid criticism of misogynistic laws like Articles 630, 612, and 301 of the Islamic Penal
Code, refer to these killings with the vague term “family murders.”
One of the main reasons for the government’s indifference to the increase in “honor”
killings can be traced back to Iran’s legal system, which is based on Sharia law. In many
cases, these laws are interpreted in favor of men and against women. Additionally,
weak protective laws and the absence of severe punishments for perpetrators of “honor”
killings result in these crimes being pursued less rigorously, with offenders often
escaping proper punishment or being sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison.

Razvan Moghaddam, Spokeswoman for the Stop honor Killings Campaign

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Stop honor Killings Campaign