In a harrowing video going viral on the internet, an Iranian man is seen displaying his wife's severed head on the streets. The police arrested the two accused of killing the woman but the incident has shaken Iran and raised concerns regarding the safety of women in the country.
Trigger Warning: This article contains disturbing details of a brutal murder.
The head in the video allegedly belongs to the 17-year-old Mona Heidari. She was allegedly murdered in Ahwaz by her husband and brother-in-law as they suspected her of adultery. After killing her, the Iranian man allegedly beheaded her and went on to proudly display it on the streets. The video of the incident went viral sparking rage in the public. By Monday, the police arrested the two accused during a raid at their hideout as reported. The public demands social and legal reforms in order to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future.
Iranian Man Beheads Wife, Sparks Debate On Women Safety
The incident has garnered the reaction of many reformists and activists. "Mona was a victim of devastating ignorance. We are all responsible for this crime," said Tahmineh Milani, a feminist filmmaker, on Instagram. The Iranian daily newspaper, Sazandegi, also condemned the incident and expressed rage on the fact that the killer was so proud while displaying his wife's head.
The issue of legal age of marriage and domestic violence surfaced once again as the 17-year-old was killed. The legal age of marriage is 13 years in Iran and as lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh said, these 'legal loopholes' are the reason behind such 'honour killings'. Reportedly, Mona, the deceased, was married at the age of 12 and by the time she was 17, she had a 3-year-old son.
The authorities reportedly responded immediately when they got to know of the incident. Ensieh Khazali, the women's affairs vice president of Iran, called on parliament demanding 'urgent measures' in the matter and for taking steps to increase awareness among the public to prevent such incidents in future. The authorities also closed the website that shared the video as it was psychologically disturbing to the public.
Elham Nadaf, a member of Iranian Parliament reportedly said in a interview, "Unfortunately, we are witnessing such incidents because there are no concrete measures to ensure the implementation of laws to prevent violence against women." A similar incident of honour killing of a 14-year-old girl by her father also enraged the public in May 2020.
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