Rezvan Moghadam

In early November 2024, in Rezaabad, a village in Azadshahr located in Ramian
County, Golestan Province, 25-year-old Farideh Mahakki set off to visit her family’s
home in a rideshare arranged by her husband. However, her route suddenly changed,
taking her to Bojnurd. There, Farideh’s father, grandfather, and uncle found her and took
her to the Nili village. In a single, brutal act, they stole away her right to peace and
safety. The men of her family, asserting control in a violent display of patriarchal
authority, beat her and forced her to ingest poison, killing her.
Farideh was not merely an individual; she represented countless women trapped in a
cycle of patriarchal oppression. In a society where cultural and legal systems empower
men to claim “ownership” over women’s bodies, thoughts, emotions, and decisions, they
feel justified in taking women’s lives. This killing reflects more than an individual or
family act; it is a product of a culture deeply ingrained in all levels of society and fiercely
reinforced by the misogynistic policies of the Islamic Republic.
Like thousands of other women, Farideh Mahakki fell victim to a worldview that sees
women’s lives as male property and control. Her tragic death is a painful reminder of the
urgent need to fight patriarchy—a fight that goes hand in hand with changing anti-
woman laws that uphold and enable this oppressive culture.

Woman_Is_No_One’s_honor

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Stop honor Killings Campaign
Rezvan Moghadam, Spokesperson for the Stop honor Killings Campaign.