Hengaw’s Monthly Report on Women’s Rights Violations in Iran, June 2024

Hengaw: Thursday, July 4, 2024

Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, in June, 8 female activists were arrested, and 2 were sentenced to prison by the judicial system of Islamic Republic of Iran. Furthermore, there were at least 15 cases of femicide recorded across various Iranian cities last month.

The death sentences carried out for women in Iran:

In June 2024, no executions of women were recorded in the prisons of Iran.

Arrest of 8 women in June:

According to Hengaw’s statistics, at least 8 female activists were arrested in different cities in Iran during June 2024, constituting 10% of all detainees that month. The names and locations of the arrested women are:

1.    Samira Nejatian from Tehran
    2.    Houra Nikbakht from Tehran
    3.    Saba Azarpik from Tehran
    4.    Hamideh Zarei from Rasht
    5.    Mahta Sadri from Rasht
    6.    Tahereh Norouzi from Shiraz
    7.    Maryam Mehrabi from Mobarakeh
    8.    Atefeh Rangriz from Damghan

Imprisonment Sentences for Women Activists:

In June 2024, at least two female activists were sentenced to prison across various cities in Iran. These women received a combined total of eight years of imprisonment. 

The individuals and their respective sentences are as follows:

1. Atena Farghdani (Tehran): 6 years
2. Maryam Bairami (Tabriz): 2 years

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, arresting and convicting women is a common practice of discrimination. The pressure on female activists increased during the Women, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement. In its institutionalized form, the Islamic Republic has consistently worked to limit women's access to social, political, and human rights arenas. Gender apartheid policies in Iran are evident in the forms of sexual and gender segregation policies, as well as the criminalization of sexual and gender minorities' identities, which marginalizes them.

15 cases of femicide were recorded in June

In June 2024, Hengaw recorded at least 15 femicides in various Iranian cities. These women were killed by close relatives, including husbands, uncles, son in laws, and brothers.

As per the report, 12 women were killed by their husbands, one woman was killed by her brother, one woman was killed by her uncle, and one woman was killed by her son in law.

In three cases, the crime was committed under the pretext of “honor killing.” Additionally, the motive for twelve cases was announced as family disputes.

Femicide statistics by province:

•    Kerman province: 2 cases
    •    Hormozgan province: 2 cases
    •    Tehran province: 2 cases
    •    Alborz province: 1 case
    •    West Azerbaijan province: 1 case
    •    North Khorasan province: 1 case
    •    Fars province: 1 case
    •    Sistan and Baluchistan province: 1 case
    •    Kurdistan province: 1 case
    •    Lorestan province: 1 case
    •    Qazvin province: 1 case
    •    Gilan province: 1 case

Femicide is regarded as the most extreme form of misogyny in society. Femicide only makes up a portion of the murders that are linked to honor killings. Laws, misogynistic relationships, and patriarchy are the main causes of femicide in societies. According to Hengaw's human rights reports, there were 122 recorded femicides in Iran in the year prior, and a large number of these killings were carried out by the victims' close relatives. Laws and attitudes that promote misogyny and hatred towards women normalize the act of killing women, making it easier for predators to carry out their crimes with fewer repercussions.