Femicide in Iran: Femicide represents the extreme end of domestic violence, when women are murdered by a husband, father, brother, or other family member.
These shocking crimes lay bare the deep influence of the regime’s misogynistic culture on Iranian society and expose the breadth of structural discrimination against women.
Below are several horrific cases of femicide that occurred in Iran over the course of this summer.
Aida Alizadeh, Victim of Child Marriage
Fourteen-year-old Aida Alizadeh, forced into marriage, disappeared around June 22 after visiting her home. Ten days later, on Thursday, July 3, 2025, her lifeless body was discovered outside her fiancé’s residence on Hormuz Island. Due to the severe swelling of her remains, she was identified only by her clothes and sandals.
Simin Joghatayii, 21, Law Student
On Saturday, July 12, 2025, 21-year-old law student Simin Joghatayii was killed in Taybad by her four brothers after a week of torture and beatings. She was accused of having a phone conversation with a male friend and was struck on the neck with a shovel. Her body was reportedly unrecognizable due to the severity of the abuse.
Double Uxoricide and Filicide in Khorramabad
On Saturday, July 19, 2025, Hamid Bastami, a government employee, murdered his two wives—teacher Farzaneh Sadeghi and 40-year-old Elham Salari—along with their sons, Amir Abbas (10) and Amir Mehdi (11), by slitting their throats. After filming the bodies, he claimed he was driven by professional frustrations over a denied promotion. Bastami attempted suicide afterward and remains under medical care.
Young Mother and Daughter Killed in Tehran’s Chitgar Towers
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, a man in Tehran’s Chitgar Towers fatally attacked his young wife and their 13-year-old daughter during a domestic argument. He later confessed to the crime after his arrest.
Son-in-Law Kills Eight in Mass Shooting
On the morning of August 14, 2025, a young man shot and killed his wife and two small children in the city of Minoodasht, Golestan Province. He then traveled to Amol in Mazandaran Province, where he continued his killing spree at his in-laws’ home.
Using a handgun, he shot and killed his father-in-law, brother-in-law, two sisters-in-law, and their young child.
In total, eight people—three women, three children, and two men—were killed. The gunman ended his own life by shooting himself in the head.
Soraya Ali-Mohammadi Burned Alive by Her Husband
On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 35-year-old Sorayya Ali-Mohammadi was tied up and set ablaze in the couple’s home garage by her husband, 40-year-old Afshin Sharifi. Despite being rushed to the hospital with severe burns, Sorayya died shortly afterward.
Mother and Two Daughters Killed in Maragheh
Again, on September 2, 2025, a 41-year-old man in Maragheh murdered his wife, Somayyeh Kiomarsi (38), and their daughters, Sanaz (17) and Maral (9), in their home in the Favarali district. Authorities cited “family disputes” as the motive.
The Killing of a 16-Year-Old Girl in Shadegan
On Sunday, September 7, 2025, 16-year-old Fatemeh R., a resident of Shadegan, was murdered by her uncle Mehdi at the behest of her father. Her throat was slit with a knife, and her body was dumped in a garbage site at the entrance of Abadan.
The victim’s father publicly declared that he had no intention of pressing charges against his brother.
Ex-Husband Murders Woman in Mashhad
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, a man named Mehr-Ali broke into his ex-wife’s home in Mashhad and fatally stabbed her multiple times in the abdomen and side. The 40-year-old woman had been previously threatened to death. The assailant committed the crime in front of their daughters before fleeing the scene.
Since these crimes have political roots and drivers, the cycle of bloody violence against women cannot be broken as long as the mullahs’ misogynistic regime rules Iran.
Only the complete overthrow of this repressive, anti-woman system—and its replacement with a government founded on equality, human dignity, and gender justice—can bring an end to the tragedy of femicide in Iran.
