Iran's use of qisas in cases of female self-defense

Iran executes woman who resisted sexual assault

Marziye Niyeri defended herself against a sexual assault in October 2021, resulting in the death of her husband's business partner and her husband.

In October 2021, when she was 18, Marziye Niyeri was involved in an incident at her home. Niyeri had been married at age 17 under pressure from her family.

According to her court statement, one of her husband's business partners attempted to sexually assault her while intoxicated. She said she used a kitchen knife to defend herself, and her husband was also killed during the altercation. Four days after the incident, Niyeri turned herself in to the police after going to her brother's home.

The court rejected Niyeri's self-defense plea. The victims' families invoked the right of retribution (qisas) under Iranian law, rejected blood money, and insisted on execution. At age 23, Niyeri was executed at Qazvin Central Prison before dawn on Saturday.

Rights groups point to a broader pattern: Iran Human Rights said at least 21 of the women executed in 2025 had been sentenced to qisas for killing their husbands or fiancés, and the US State Department described Iran as far ahead of any other country in the number of death sentences carried out against women. Women's rights organisations say many women on death row in Iran have a history of domestic violence, forced marriage, economic dependence, and limited access to divorce.