On Thursday, November 21, 2024, in the village of Volaghuz, near Kordkuy in Golestan
Province, a man shot and killed two women and an elderly man with a hunting rifle. The
victims were identified as Zahra Moghadam, Ghoncheh Rasouli, and Ghoncheh’s
elderly husband, Kheirollah Rasouli.
A source told IranWire: “The man who killed Zahra Moghadam and two others in this
village had proposed marriage to her. When his proposal was rejected, he went to
Moghadam’s home with a hunting rifle. Given that the village is small and everyone
knows each other, he entered her house and, in a gruesome act, shot her at close
range.”
According to informed sources, two children related to the family were also present
during the attack. Before the assailant entered, Zahra Moghadam reportedly hid the
children to protect them.
It remains unclear why the killer targeted Ghoncheh Rasouli and her husband after
murdering Zahra Moghadam. Witnesses said the perpetrator went to the police station
after committing the killings and confessed, citing “personal and family disputes” as his
motive. He is currently in custody.
Honor killings, such as this case stemming from a rejected marriage proposal, exemplify
the broader issue of violence against women rooted in traditional beliefs and patriarchal
structures. Women and girls are often attacked or killed simply for exercising their right
to choose and refusing to marry a specific individual. These crimes are frequently
justified as efforts to “preserve family honor,” though in reality, they reflect attempts to
control women’s lives and bodies.
The lack of sufficient protective laws and a culture of impunity for perpetrators
exacerbates such violence in communities influenced by these beliefs. This
underscores the urgent need for legal reforms and widespread social awareness to
combat such crimes.

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