Femicide: Victim of child marriage killed by husband in Ilam

Hengaw: Tuesday, January 7, 2025

A young woman from Ilam, identified as Zahra Shahbazi, who was a victim of forced child marriage, was killed by her husband with a firearm. The perpetrator has fled the scene. In 2024, at least nine women in Ilam Province were killed by close relatives.

According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Zahra Shahbazi, a 28-year-old woman, was shot and killed by her 32-year-old husband in one of Ilam city’s neighborhoods. The murder occurred in front of her 14-year-old child and was reportedly due to family disputes.

Hengaw has learned that Zahra was forced into marriage at the age of 14, making her a victim of child marriage and forced marriage.

According to Ghodrat Heidarizad, Ilam’s police commander, the perpetrator fled after the crime, and authorities have initiated efforts to apprehend him.

Based on statistics compiled by Hengaw’s Center for Statistics and Documentation, Ilam Province recorded nine femicide cases in 2024, making it one of the provinces with the highest femicide rates in Iran.