A victim of domestic violence was executed in Iran (3 photos)

24-year-old Rana Faraj Oghli was executed in Tabriz Central Prison. Two years ago, she was arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband. At 16, she was married to a man nearly two decades her senior. Relatives claimed that Rana suffered domestic violence and coercion throughout these years.





In court, the defendant stated that she did not need a lawyer and made only one request: "Free me from a life that resembles death."

State media kept silent about the December 3 execution, which activists believe indicates attempts to conceal the scale of executions in Iranian prisons.

Following her death, the number of women executed in Iran this year reached 57, a record. In 2024, there were 34 such cases.



Since 2007, at least 320 women have been executed. All of them defended themselves from domestic violence or were victims of early marriage.

Analysts note that the trend toward harsher punishments has intensified since President Masoud Pezeshkian took office. During his presidency, more than 2,600 executions were carried out.

Ogli's execution raises concerns about the fate of Goli Koukhan, a 25-year-old woman who was also forced into marriage as a child. She faces the death penalty for the murder of her abusive husband unless she raises $90,000 by the end of this year. The victim's family has agreed to a pardon, conditional on the payment of "blood money," a Sharia-law-permitted payment.



Koukhan grew up in extreme poverty and was married to her cousin at age 12. A year later, she gave birth to her first child. She endured years of abuse and was unable to even access medical care.

In 2018, Goli saw her husband beating their five-year-old son. She called her cousin for help. A fight ensued, and her husband died from his injuries.

The woman called an ambulance and explained what had happened, but she and her cousin were immediately arrested.

During interrogation, she had no lawyer. She can neither read nor write.

Later, the judges issued a verdict based on the principle of qisas—a punishment equal in severity to the crime committed. This means the victim's family can demand her execution if she does not agree to compensation.