Child Bride Monireh Nourikia Executed in Mashhad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman was executed in Mashhad Central Prison on 28 May. Her identity has been established as Monireh Nourikia. She was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder.

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Monireh Nourikia was sentenced to qisas for the murder of her 10-year-old step-daughter in June 2020. Monireh’s father was Iraqi and her mother Iranian.”

“Monireh was 27 when she was arrested but at 14, she was forced to marry one of her mother’s relatives. She had unintentionally killed her 10-year-old step-daughter.”

According to Iran Human Rights’ report on Women and Death Penalty in Iran on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty, at least 164 women were executed between 2010-October 2021. Of those, six were child brides and one woman (Safieh Ghafouri), was an aroose-khoon-bas, a bride offered by one tribe to the opposing tribe to stop the bloodshed.

Within the marriage itself, a woman does not have the right to divorce, even in cases of domestic violence and abuse, which are hidden in cultural codes and language. In 66% of the known murder cases, the women were convicted of killing their husband or partner.

At the time of writing, her execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

According to the 2022 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 582 people were executed in Iran. Of those, 288 were executed for murder charges.

Those charged with the umbrella term of “intentional murder” are sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) regardless of intent or circumstances due to a lack of grading in law. Once a defendant has been convicted, the victim’s family are required to choose between death as retribution, diya (blood money) or forgiveness.