Donya Rezai born: 2003
murdered: April 17, 2023
Residence: Darrafesh, Khanum Abad, Kermanshah
Origin: Iran
Children: none
Perpetrators: her father and brother
Excuse: "honor"
On April 17, 2023, 18-year-old Donya Rezai was murdered by her relatives in the village of Darrafesh, Khanum Abad in Kermanshah province, Iran. According to Iran International, she was the victim of an "honor killing."
Neighbors point to her father and brother as perpetrators.
Honor killings, a practice in which individuals are murdered by family members for alleged honor violations, is illegal in Iran. However, Article 301 of the Penal Code allows for reduced sentences for fathers who kill their daughters under certain circumstances. In 2013, a father in Tehran received only six months in prison for killing his daughter after an argument over her marriage.
This tragic incident shows that femicide is an ongoing problem in Iran and that women need better legal protection.