Alarming Rise in Female Executions: 18th Woman Hanged in Iran in 2023

On Wednesday, Iranian authorities executed 29-year-old Samira Sabzian, known as the “child bride,” who had spent a decade in prison after being convicted of murdering her husband. This marks the eighteenth woman to be executed in Iran this year, according to reports from the Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organization (IHR).

The execution occurred in Gezel Khesar prison, situated in the Tehran suburb of Karaj, as detailed by the IHR. Notably, there has been no coverage of this event in the Iranian press, and official confirmation from the authorities is lacking.

Samira’s tragic story unfolds as she was married at the age of 15 and allegedly endured systematic domestic violence. Arrested at 19 for her husband’s murder, she was swiftly sentenced to death. Despite bureaucratic delays, her execution was carried out this week.

During her ten years in prison, Samira, who had two children at the time of her arrest, was allowed to see them only once, shortly before her execution in early December.

Mahmoud-Amiri Moghaddam, the head of the IHR, condemned the execution, stating, “Samira was a victim of gender apartheid, child marriage, and domestic violence for many years, and today she is a victim of this regime’s incompetent and corrupt killing machine.”

The alarming statistics reveal that Samira Sabzian is the eighteenth woman executed in Iran in 2023, raising concerns among human rights activists. Additionally, it is noted that women facing death sentences often lack familial support, as their parents may prioritize preserving the perceived “honor of the family.”