Honor killing in Kermanshah, Iran: Young woman murdered by her father

Seyedeh Donya Hosseini
Age: 23
Stabbed to death: February 17, 2025
Residence: Beriyakhani, Kermanshah
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Father

On Monday, February 17, 2025, Seyedeh Donya Hosseini, a 23-year-old woman from the village of Beriyakhani in Kermanshah, was stabbed to death by her father, Seyed Yadollah Hosseini. The murder has been categorized as honor-related violence.

A source close to the Hosseini family stated that she had been divorced from her husband about 40 days earlier due to what was described as a "relationship with another man." 40 days after the divorce, she returned to her parental home. One day after her arrival, she was killed by her father.

Honor killings, in which individuals are murdered by family members for alleged violations of family honor, remain a widespread issue in Iran despite being illegal. Article 301 of the Penal Code provides leniency for fathers who kill their daughters under certain conditions, often resulting in drastically reduced sentences. In 2013, a father in Tehran received only six months in prison for murdering his daughter following a dispute over her marriage.

This case highlights the legal framework that enables impunity for perpetrators and leaves women vulnerable to violence. To uphold basic human rights, Iran should align its laws with international standards and abolish Article 301 of the Penal Code.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.