Third honor killing in a month sparks renewed calls for law change in Iran
Under Islamic Republic law, a father who kills his child is not considered a murderer and is not liable for the death penalty.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSAn Iranian hairstylist looks on as she attends a ceremony to mark the national Chastity and Hijab day at a conference centre in Tehran(photo credit: REUTERS)
Iran has been rocked by a third honor killing in under a month, prompting widespread demand throughout the country for the perpetrators of such killings to be held to account.The latest victim is Rayhaneh Ameri, 22, who was killed by her father late on Sunday night. Her murder was discovered by her sister on Monday morning, when she visited her parents home to find the house in a mess and no one home, according to Rokna news agency, as reported by Radio Farda. Upon her mother's arrival, the two went to Rayhanah's bedroom to find garments soaked in blood, while police later found traces of blood tracking to her father's car.Police traced her father using his cell phone, finding him at a nearby village, whereupon he confessed to having killed his daughter with an ax and throwing her away, according to the Rokna report. He told police that he had killed his daughter at around 11pm on June 14; the forensic report stated that Rayhaneh was still alive two hours before the Police were aware of what had taken place, but died of profuse bleeding.The murder comes just two weeks after the beheading of 14-year-old Romina Ashrafi from Talesh, northern Iran, who was killed by her father using a sickle after she attempted to elope with her 35-year-old boyfriend as her father disproved of the match. After being found by police several days later, she was returned to her home despite telling police that she feared for her life.Under Islamic Republic law, a father who kills his child is not considered a murderer and is not liable for the death penalty. However, the violence involved in Ashrafi's case was so egregious that Iran's Supreme Leader's office was forced to respond to the outcry it provoked. Khamenei's official Twitter account said that the Supreme Leader had called for "harsh confrontation" with those "who consider the violation of women their right."Iran's President Hassan Rouhani also requested that his cabinet speed up the passing of laws prohibiting 'honor killings,' pushing for several bills which have languished in the system, some for years, to finally be passed."Without a doubt our heavy duty is the judicial follow-up of the issue and harsh punishment for the perpetrator of this crime," Deputy Justice Minister Mahmoud Abbasi said, IRNA reported.An 18-year-old girl was also killed in May when her brother set fire to the house she was in, in retaliation for her marrying an older man.Meanwhile, the Police have been attempting to downplay Ameri's murder, after the public were incensed by the manner of her death. Contrary to reports, Ameri was not killed with an ax, Kerman province Deputy Police Chief IRGC Colonel Kourosh Ahmad Yousefi told the official news agency IRNA. "Rayhaneh's father killed her with an iron bar," he said.According to Radio Farda, he explained that Rayhaneh's father had grown angry at her, and during a struggle between the two of them threw an iron bar at her head, killing her. He added that the father regretted his anger which had led to her death. His statement contradicted initial reports, which claimed that the father had "proudly" confessed to murdering his daughter.
