Iran executes 23-year-old woman who said she killed during an attempted rape

Marzieh Nieri, 23, was executed by Iranian authorities at Qazvin Central Prison. The sentence was carried out after the court rejected her testimony that she had acted to defend herself against an attempted sexual assault.

The execution took place in the early hours of Saturday. Iran Human Rights said Nieri had been forcibly married at the age of 17 because of pressure from her family.

The incident for which she received the death sentence occurred in October 2021, when she was 18.

In court, the young woman said that a business partner of her husband’s, after becoming intoxicated, had attempted to sexually assault her. She claimed that, while trying to defend herself, she had struck him with a kitchen knife. Her husband also died in the same struggle.

After leaving for her brother’s home, Nieri turned herself in to police four days after the incident.

The self-defense argument was rejected by the judicial panel. The victims’ families demanded the implementation of the principle known as “qisas,” which led to her being sentenced to death.

According to Iran Human Rights, following Nieri’s execution, at least 14 women have been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2026.

Her case comes at a time when organizations monitoring human rights are reporting a rise in the execution of women in the country.

Data cited in reports show that at least 61 women were executed in Iran during 2025, the highest level recorded in 25 years.

The murder of a husband or partner is among the most common charges brought against women sentenced to death. According to human rights organizations, some of them have experienced domestic violence, while early marriages, financial dependence and obstacles to obtaining a divorce have limited their ability to leave abusive relationships.

“Qisas” is a principle of Iranian criminal law based on Islamic jurisprudence. Under it, the victim’s relatives may seek the execution of a person convicted of murder or waive the death penalty in exchange for financial compensation known as “diyah.”

Under Iran’s legal framework, in cases of this nature, an execution can take place only after approval has been given by the victim’s family.

On the same day, judicial authorities in Mazandaran province announced that Kolthoum Akbari had received 10 death sentences after being found guilty of killing 10 people.

The investigation into Akbari began in September 2023, following the suspicious death of an 82-year-old man in Mahmoudabad. Several months before his death, he had entered into a temporary marriage with her.

A complaint filed with police by the 82-year-old’s family prompted the investigation to expand, uncovering further cases. After her arrest, Akbari admitted to killing several elderly men, most of whom had been her husbands in temporary marriages.

In the case of an 11th victim, the family chose financial compensation and did not seek the death penalty. Authorities suspect that Akbari may have killed an even larger number of people.

The death penalty continues to be widely used in Iran. Human rights organizations report that at least 1,639 executions were carried out in 2025, the highest annual figure documented since 1989.

The United Nations has also raised concerns over the increase in executions in Iran during 2026. On 5 August, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that at least 56 people had been executed since 19 March on charges related to national security, and called for the executions to be halted.