Outcry in Iran at nine-year sentence for man who beheaded daughter
Source: The Guardian
Outcry in Iran at nine-year sentence for man who beheaded daughter
Mother of 14-year-old victim expresses fury at lenient sentence as critics say Iranian law unfairly favours men
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Fri 28 Aug 2020 18.31 BST
An Iranian man who beheaded his 14-year-old daughter has been sentenced to only nine years in jail, in a case that has sparked outrage at the way Iranian law appears to enshrine supposed male rights over womens lives.
Rana Dashti, the mother of 14-year-old Romina Ashrafi, expressed fury at the lenient sentence in an interview with the Iranian Labor news agency (Ilna) on Friday and said the courts ruling had caused fear and panic for me and my family.
Romina was murdered by her father after she ran off with a man aged 28. Dashti said she would appeal against the decision, and that after 15 years she had no interest in continuing to live with her husband.
She added she was worried about the lives of her only son and other relations. I no longer want my husband to return to the village, she told the news agency
The case has sparked controversy in Iran about the frequency of so-called honour killings, the rights of children, and gender bias in Iranian courts. Efforts to tighten the law to protect children have previously fallen foul of Irans Guardian Council, which ruled that parliaments plans were un-Islamic.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/28/outcry-in-iran-at-nine-year-sentence-for-man-who-beheaded-daughter