In a shocking case from Ahvaz, the capital of Iran’s Khuzestan Province, Sajjad Heydari received an eight-year prison term for decapitating his wife, Mona Heydari, and parading her severed head through the streets. The 17-year-old mother of one was killed in February 2022 after her husband and his brother, Heydar, carried out the brutal murder.
Details of the Crime
Mona Heydari was dragged from a vehicle outside her family home when the attack occurred. Disturbing footage captured Sajjad Heydari holding his wife’s head in one hand and a large knife in the other, smiling as he walked past onlookers. His brother wrapped her decapitated body in a blanket and disposed of it.
Court Sentencing and Family Forgiveness
A judiciary spokesman confirmed the sentence: seven and a half years for murder plus eight months for intentional assault for Sajjad Heydari. Heydar received 45 months for complicity in the homicide. The lighter punishment stemmed from Mona’s parents choosing to pardon the killer, opting out of retribution under Iran’s Islamic law.
Background of the Marriage
Mona, married to her cousin Sajjad at age 12, endured years of abuse. She fled to Turkey with another man seeking escape, but her father, Javid, tracked her using Interpol and convinced her to return to Iran. Sajjad had refused her divorce requests, later claiming she dishonored him.
Mona gave birth to their son at 14. Javid defended the early marriage in court, stating: “She was not forced to marry, and in fact, the husband provided her with the very best of lives.” He added, “It’s true, there was fighting between them, and sometimes there was violence, and she would return home, but she only stayed for two or three days, and then he would pick her up, and life would return to normal. These fights between husband and wife are completely normal, and I don’t think there was a problem as she did not ask for a divorce.”
Javid conceded she may have been too young but noted, “We got a certificate of confirmation that she was physically old enough to marry, and there was no physical problem in the relationship.”
Honor Killings in Iran
The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran highlights the prevalence of such cases. They state that not a week passes without an honor killing in the headlines, with annual averages of 375 to 450 reported, particularly in Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Ilam, and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces. Activists note these acts are often classified as ‘family differences,’ rooted in patriarchal laws and culture where women hold second-class status.
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