Young woman Atousa Jafari killed by former husband in Sanandaj

Hengaw – Sunday, August 23, 2026

Atousa Jafari, a 27-year-old woman from Sanandaj (Sine) and an employee of the city’s postal service, was killed by her former husband in a knife attack. The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Jafari was attacked on August 23, 2026, as she was getting into her car to travel to work. Her former husband approached her from behind on the street and stabbed her multiple times, including once in the heart. She died from severe injuries and blood loss.

Jafari had separated from her husband several years earlier due to family disputes and had since been living with her mother. Despite their separation, she had faced repeated threats and harassment from her former husband over the years.

Hengaw has learned that the suspect fled following the killing and had not been arrested.

The continued killings of women in Kurdistan and across Iran reflect significant gaps in legal protections against persistent harassment and threats, the failure to provide effective judicial and law enforcement protection to survivors of domestic violence, and discriminatory provisions within the country’s legal framework.