Femicide in Iran: Iran has witnessed the horrifying murders of at least 9 women by their close male relatives in just 20 days, from May 23 to June 11, 2025.
Husbands, partners, or male relatives of the victims predominantly committed the murders. These women were killed for reasons as harrowing as requesting a divorce, seeking economic and social independence, or simply resisting coercion, discrimination, or robbery.
These murders are not merely stains on the hands of individual killers; they are glaring indictments of a misogynistic regime, where laws grant men ownership over women, decriminalize domestic violence, and define women as subordinates and property. A system where legal and social mechanisms are not designed to protect women, but rather to preserve patriarchal control.
While each of these murders is a human and social tragedy on its own, their rapid recurrence reveals a pattern—one rooted in state policies, patriarchal religious doctrine, and a repressive apparatus.
The victims were left without legal protection, without institutional support, and the fundamental right to safety even within their own homes. In several instances, these women had repeatedly reported threats before their deaths, yet the judicial and police systems remained silent, indifferent, or even complicit in perpetuating the violence.
The government’s silence, absence of preventive policies, and failure to pass effective legislation to combat violence against women have not only enabled these crimes but have also normalized them.
A Glimpse into the Tragedies of Femicide in Iran:
Family Massacre in Kermanshah
On May 23, 2025, 29-year-old Ashkan Hemmati shot and killed his 25-year-old wife, Samira Farhadi, and wounded her teenage sisters, Somayeh (17) and Zahra Farhadi, using a handgun. Samira died on the spot, and Somayeh succumbed to her injuries two days later. The couple had ongoing disputes for nine months and were parents to two young children.
Zahra Aliyari Stabbed to Death in Miandoab
On May 24, Zahra Aliyari was violently stabbed to death by her husband in their home. Local sources reported repeated and numerous knife blows. The motive was cited as “domestic disputes.”
Eshrat Heydari Shot While Trying to Mediate
It was reported on May 27 that Eshrat Heydari, 45 years old from Khoshab, in Khorasan Razavi Province in northeastern Iran, was fatally shot by her husband while trying to mediate an argument between him and their son.
Mutilated Body of Afghan Asylum Seeker Discovered
On June 3, parts of the dismembered body of 26-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Kobra Rezaei (also known as Shaghayegh) were found in a trash bin in Pakdasht, southeast of Tehran Province. She had disappeared 50 days before while heading to work in Varamin. DNA confirmed her identity.
A male colleague had previously made attempts to get close to her. Analysis of mobile phone data showed that the last mobile signal of Kobra was recorded near the residence of this same individual.
Champion Arm-Wrestler Hanieh Behboudi Killed by Husband
Hanieh Behboudi Pouramghan, 23, a physical education student and arm-wrestling champion from Khorasan Razavi, was strangled and fatally bludgeoned by her husband on June 7, 2025.
The motive was reportedly his resentment over her public recognition. Hanieh Behboudi was the mother of a four-year-old girl.
Ommolbanin Gholizadeh Killed After Repeated Death Threats
On June 7, 47-year-old Ommolbanin Gholizadeh was stabbed to death by her husband in Maneh and Samalqan county in North Khorasan Province.
She had been repeatedly threatened with death by her husband after seeking a divorce, according to family sources.
Young Woman Killed in Kelardasht, Mazandaran
On June 9, a woman was murdered by her husband using a sharp weapon. He fled the scene but was later apprehended and confessed. Her identity has not yet been disclosed.
Woman Stabbed to Death in Karaj
On June 11, a 32-year-old man in Karaj stabbed his 31-year-old wife to death before injuring himself with the same knife and jumping from a rooftop, dying instantly.
More Reported Murders of Women
Four more women have been reported killed. One of the women was killed by her husband, while the other there were murdered by different individuals.
Fatemeh Sadeghi Murdered in Jahrom
It was also reported on May 26 that the lifeless body of 39-year-old Fatemeh Sadeghi had been discovered in a public restroom in Jahrom on April 30, 2025.
Her husband, Sadegh Ranjbar, murdered her after she requested a divorce. Attempting to mask the crime as a suicide, he wrapped a scarf around her neck.
Elaheh Hossein-Nejad’s Body Found After 11 Days Missing
In another development that shocked Iranian society on June 6, the stabbed body of Elaheh Hossein-Nejad, a 24-year-old woman working in a beauty salon, was found on the outskirts of Tehran. She had been missing since May 25.
The official narrative is that she had been murdered during a phone robbery after resisting the attacker. However, there are widespread speculations that security forces had kidnapped and murdered her due to her anti-regime activism.
Suspicious Murder of Young Woman in Pishva
It was also reported on June 9 that a young woman’s body had been discovered abandoned in Pishva County, southeast of Tehran Province. Details about the victim and perpetrator remain unknown.
Elderly Woman Found Murdered in Tehran
On May 29, the body of a 60-year-old woman was found in her bathroom in Tehran’s Molla Sadra district, bearing multiple stab wounds. She was recovering from recent cancer surgery. The killer remains unidentified.
This pattern of murder is a grim reminder: as long as the Iranian regime—with its misogynistic foundations—remains in power, no real change is possible.
No reform will end the bloody cycle of violence against women. Only the complete dismantling of this oppressive system and its replacement with one based on equality, human dignity, and gender justice can bring lasting safety and freedom to women in Iran.
