30% increase in the number of murders of women in the Kurdish provinces of Iran

A human rights organization reports a 30 percent increase in the number of murders of women in Kurdish-populated areas of Iran over the past year. Family disputes have been the most important reason for the murders and suicides of Kurdish women.

The human rights organization Hengaw, publishing a report on the murder and suicide of women in the Kurdish provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, and West Azerbaijan, announced that 41 women were murdered in these areas from March of last year to March of this year.

Thus, the number of murders of women in these areas shows a "30 percent increase" compared to the previous year.

Hengaw adds that among the 41 women murdered last year, 17 were killed by their husbands and 3 by their ex-husbands.

In total, 35 women were killed by close relatives, such as fathers, brothers, husbands, ex-husbands, sons, and sons-in-law, as well as 2 women by suitors. In 4 cases, the relationship of the killer or killers to the female victims was reported as "unknown."

According to this report, "family disputes" were the main reason for the murder of women in the Kurdish regions of Iran, accounting for 65.5 percent.

Also, 14.5 percent of murders occurred for reasons of honor.

The highest number of murders of women was recorded in Kermanshah province with 18 cases. It was followed by Kurdistan province with 11 murders.

Highest suicide rate: West Azerbaijan

According to the findings of this human rights organization, since March of last year, at least 94 women in various Kurdish cities in Iran have ended their lives by "suicide."

However, the number of female suicides in these areas has decreased by 15 percent compared to the previous year.

"Family disputes" were the motive and reason for 71 percent of suicides.

Also, the highest number of suicides among Kurdish women is seen in West Azerbaijan province, with 52 cases, equivalent to 55 percent of all suicides, recorded in this province.
Twenty-two suicides, or 23.5 percent of all cases, occurred among girls and adolescents under the age of 18, and three of them were even younger than 13 years old.

Limitations and lack of effective rules

A number of experts cite reasons such as the legal vacuum and the lack of criminal laws in the Islamic Republic as factors that fuel the increase in violence against Iranian women, especially in the family.

Among these cases, and according to the Islamic Penal Code, the father cannot be considered a murderer, so that even if convicted by the court, the father is sentenced to a maximum of paying blood money and imprisonment for up to ten years.

Also, the bill called “Protecting the Dignity and Protection of Women Against Violence” has been pending for more than 10 years before being passed and becoming a law. After much struggle, this bill was approved by the government in January 2020 and submitted to the Islamic Consultative Assembly on January 20.

However, the Islamic Consultative Assembly refused to accept the bill for five months after it was announced that it had been received, and finally, on May 19, 1402, it was announced that it had been received and referred to the Assembly's Legal and Judicial Committee with an urgent condition.

In the Islamic Republic, even works of art related to the issue of violence against women and "honor" killings face numerous restrictions from the authorities.

For example, the film "Father's House," directed by Kianoush Ayari and featuring the theme of honor killings, was banned for nearly a decade in 2010. After the temporary ban was lifted and the film was released, it was banned again two years ago, and its creators were prosecuted.

Source: DW