According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ziba Sayadi, was shot dead by Jalal Sayadi, her ex-husband, in front of her classmates at a school she had recently signed up for. The suspect fled the scene and is currently on the run.
The couple, who are cousins, had been married for nearly three years until their divorce just 10 days before the incident. Ziba’s lawyer and psychologist both claimed that the young woman was continuously abused by her husband and his family throughout the marriage, adding that the suspect had repeatedly threatened her following the divorce.
“She used to say: He always locked me in the house and took my phone away. I could noy even talk to my family… Always used to get chased and hurt… Her decision was divorce and I, as always and according to my professional ethics, did not intervene in her decision,” Soraya Anvari, Ziba’s psychologist and neurotherapist, wrote on Instagram.
“Last night when I was in contact with her again, she told me about her fears, even though her family was watching over her. Unfortunately, the killer was just looking for an opportunity to commit this crime,” she added.
Family honor is often used as an excuse for the murder of women and girls at the hands of their male kin - fathers, brothers, and husbands. At least 122 women were killed across Iranian provinces in 2023, 39 of whom were so-called honor killings, according to Hengaw. At least 60 women were killed by their husbands, and nine were killed by ex-spouses.