Somayeh Kiomarthi, Sanaz & Maral Dolatkhah Ages: 38, 17, 9
Murdered: September 2, 2025
Residence: Maragheh, East Azerbaijan, Iran
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Husband (41)
On September 2, 2025, a triple murder occurred in the city of Maragheh, in East Azerbaijan province, Iran, sparking widespread outrage. Somayeh Kiomarthi (38) and her daughters Sanaz (17) and Maral (9) were killed in their home in the Favarali neighborhood.
According to independent human rights organizations, Somayeh was stabbed, after which the daughters were strangled. The perpetrator, her 41-year-old husband, later turned himself in to the Maragheh police.
State-controlled media referred to “family problems” as the motive, but other sources indicate that the murders were committed to preserve family honor.
Honor killings and femicide are a structural problem in Iran. Women and girls are regularly targeted by male family members under the pretext of “honor” or family disputes. Because Iranian law provides minimal protection for women and honor-related murders of women and daughters are often punished with significantly lighter sentences, a climate of impunity persists.