By: Rezvan Moghaddam

On the morning of Friday, May 23, 2025, in one of the most horrifying recent cases of
domestic killing, Ashkan Hemmati, a 29-year-old man, stormed into his father-in-law’s
house in Karachī Township of Kermanshah with a handgun and opened fire on his wife
and her two sisters. Samira Farhadi, a 25-year-old young woman, was killed instantly.
Her 17-year-old sister Somayeh died two days later in the hospital, and her other sister,
Zahra Farhadi, was severely wounded in the eye and lost her vision following surgery.
Her condition has been reported as critical.
According to eyewitnesses, Ashkan first shot Somayeh as she tearfully pleaded with
him not to kill his wife for the sake of their children. But the killer immediately turned the
gun on Samira and then shot the third sister. The killing was premeditated. Ashkan, who
held a bachelor’s degree in law, had previously threatened to kill everyone and had
even sold his belongings to, in his own words, “kill them all.” He eventually took his own
life after the killings and died in the hospital.
Samira and Ashkan had two young children aged three and five. Nine months prior to
the crime, Samira had left her husband due to his violence, aggression, and paranoid
behavior, returning to her father’s home. This brutal crime not only claimed the lives of
three women but also left two children orphaned.
This tragedy is a clear example of structural violence against women in Iran. A
combination of factors — including the lack of effective legal protection, a patriarchal
culture, societal tolerance toward domestic violence, and easy access to firearms —
creates an environment where such killings can occur. The Iranian legal system still
does not provide a clear and independent definition of “domestic violence,” and its
mechanisms for protecting women at risk are inadequate and limited. The killing of
Samira and her sisters, like the cases of hundreds of other women, exemplifies gender
apartheid in practice — a reality where women are not even safe in their own father’s
home.
This incident also raises serious questions about men’s mental health, the responsibility
of judicial institutions, and the police’s failure to prevent domestic crimes. The killer’s
explicit threats toward his wife and her family had been known for some time, but no
action was taken to protect them.

The “Stop honor Killings Campaign” Demands:

 Official recognition of “honor killings” as a distinct crime under Iranian law;
 Passage of a comprehensive law prohibiting violence against women and
provision of real support services;
 Public education about the impacts and consequences of domestic violence;
 Accountability from law enforcement and judicial institutions for preventive
intervention;
 Immediate protection and support for the two surviving children of this crime.
No excuse, no culture, and no so-called “honor” can justify the killing of women.

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