•Late Kani Abdollahi
A 17-year-old girl was fatally stabbed by her father in northwestern Iran, according to a report by Hammihan newspaper.
Kani Abdollahi died on January 26 after her father, Jafar Abdollahi, stabbed her in Mashkan village of Piranshahr district.
While local media in West Azerbaijan province initially reported the killing was motivated by “honour” over the teen’s relationship with a boy, Piranshahr police chief Younes Arjmand cited “family disputes” as the reason given by the father, who is currently detained.
After the stabbing, the father took his daughter to the hospital before surrendering to police.
Kani, who had dropped out after sixth grade to help with farming and livestock, was the second young woman in her family to die violently.
Her cousin Farzaneh was killed by her father under similar circumstances last year, though her death was officially recorded as a suicide.
According to the Etemad newspaper, 78 women were murdered by their relatives or family members between March and September this year.
Shargh newspaper reported in 2023 that male family members killed at least 165 women between 2021 and 2023.
27 women were murdered in the first three months of 2023 alone, with “honor killings” cited as a primary motive.
These figures only account for the murders reported in various publications, and the actual number is likely much higher.
