Azita Rahmatzehi killed by husband 12 days after forced marriage in Chabahar

Hengaw – Thursday, August 13, 2026

Azita (Soheila) Rahmatzehi, a 24-year-old student and pharmacy worker from Chabahar, was killed by her husband just 12 days after being forced into marriage. She was severely beaten and shot from behind. Her husband later attempted to portray her death as a suicide or blame one of his relatives for the killing.

According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Rahmatzehi, a resident of the Doshanbeh Bazar-e Komb neighborhood of Chabahar, was killed on the evening of Monday, August 10, 2026, by her husband, Abdullah Narmanshiri, from Iranshahr.

Narmanshiri had previously been married and is the father of five children.

Sources familiar with the case told Hengaw that Rahmatzehi had repeatedly expressed strong opposition to the marriage and warned her family that she did not want to marry Narmanshiri. Despite her objections, she was subjected to intense pressure and forced into the marriage by her family, particularly her father and maternal uncle, because of Narmanshiri’s financial status. Following the wedding, he prevented her from continuing her studies and working at the pharmacy.

On August 10, Rahmatzehi and her husband were reportedly due to travel together, but Narmanshiri changed plans while they were on the way. He then severely beat her, causing fractures to her neck, vertebrae, and fingers, according to forensic findings, before shooting her from behind and killing her.

After taking Rahmatzehi’s body to a hospital, Narmanshiri claimed that she had died by suicide. In a separate account, he attempted to blame one of his relatives for the killing. Forensic findings documenting severe physical assault and a gunshot wound from behind contradicted the suicide claim, and police subsequently arrested him.