Iran has executed a 23-year-old woman who defended herself against a sexual assault, according to reports. Marziye Niyeri was executed at Qazvin Central Prison before dawn on Saturday, reports say.
According to reports, Niyeri was married at age 17 under pressure from her family. The incident occurred in October 2021, when she was 18 years old. In her court statement, Niyeri said that one of her husband's business partners attempted to sexually assault her while intoxicated. She stated she used a kitchen knife to defend herself. Niyeri's husband was also killed during the altercation, and she surrendered to the police afterward.
Reported executed in Iran since the beginning of 2026
According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, at least 14 women have been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2026.
Legal process
The court rejected Niyeri's self-defense plea, according to reports.
According to reports, under the principle of qisas based on Islamic law, the family of a murder victim has the right to demand execution of the convict or accept blood money (diya). In this case, the victim's relatives rejected the blood money and insisted on execution, resulting in Niyeri's sentence being carried out.
Reports also note that on the same day, in a separate case, another woman found guilty of killing elderly men she had married was sentenced to 10 separate death sentences.
