Iranian Woman Executed for Murdering Four-Year-Old Stepdaughter Under Islamic Law of Retribution

Iran ranks as the second highest country globally in implementing capital punishment, following China.

Iran:

On Saturday, Iranian authorities executed a woman in the northwestern region of the country after she was found guilty of murdering her four-year-old stepdaughter, according to judiciary officials.

The victim, identified only as Ava, died in December 2023 from brain injuries resulting from wounds inflicted by her stepmother, as reported by the judiciary's Mizan Online news platform at that time.

Following judicial proceedings, the stepmother received a qisas sentence in March 2024 – a principle in Islamic law that allows the victim's family to demand capital punishment as retribution.

The Supreme Court later confirmed the death sentence.

Naser Atabati, chief justice of West Azerbaijan province where the crime occurred, confirmed the execution took place early Saturday morning, noting that Ava's biological mother had "firmly demanded" the retribution punishment.

Officials did not release the name of the executed woman.

Iran continues to maintain capital punishment for various offenses including murder and rape, with executions typically conducted by hanging at dawn.

According to human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Iran implements the death penalty more frequently than any nation except China.