Iran: Man Sets Fire To Wife For Being Pregnant With Sixth Daughter
A man set fire to his pregnant wife a few days ago after their sixth child was revealed as a girl in an ultrasound appointment, in a village in Maku, northwestern Iran. According to local reports, the woman was identified as Fatemeh Rasouli, the mother of five girls, who was pregnant with her sixth daughter. Fatemeh was transferred to a hospital in Urmia but passed away due to the severity of her burns.
Her husband was arrested following the death of his wife but was later released following claims by local officials that Fatemeh self-immolated. According to the state-run IRNA News Agency, the Governor of Maku and the Head of the Security Council said the woman had self-immolated because of a “family argument”. Ali Mohammadi Irvanlu, the Maku Governor, said the Maku Health Manager had announced that she was not pregnant.
“After the woman died, a judiciary case was opened for her husband, but the judiciary research that was carried out showed there was nothing to prove he killed her, therefore he was released,” the Governor said.
In another case in Khuzestan, southwestern Iran, a young girl was killed in an honor killing. According to the state-run Rokna News Agency, the young girl was shot by her own family members. Her body was found in a car, but her family had not filed a complaint. The suspects turned themselves in three days after her death. The name of the young girl was not stated in the report.
The clerical regime systematically promotes various forms of violence against women. According to the Iranian regime’s laws, those who commit honor killings are exempt from lengthy sentences. Women are punished for “disgrace” caused to their families. Those who perform honor killings are given 10 years or less of prison.
In a report published in December 2019 by the state-run ISNA News Agency, university research carried out showed there are 375 to 450 cases of honor killings annually and that honor killings account for about 20% of all murders and 50% of family murders in Iran.
In late August, a 14-year-old child bride identified as Mobina Suri was killed by a family member in Lorestan, western Iran. In August 2020, Romina Ashrafi was killed in her sleep by her father. Her father was given only 9 years of prison. This is while lengthier prison terms are handed out to political prisoners and religious minorities.
