On the morning of Tuesday, July 7, news of the murder of an employee at an Iran Insurance office in Masjed Soleyman sent shockwaves through the community. Shortly before this, IranWire had been informed of the death of a 14-year-old girl named Setayesh, whose relatives reported that she had taken her own life. Now, two sisters in Masjed Soleyman who are under immediate threat of violence have told IranWire that unless legal action is taken, one sister’s ex-husband, who is also a relative, will end their lives and those of their children. Why are women left so unprotected, and why are their formal complaints so routinely ignored?
Threats, harassment, and violence against women, alongside the critical need for effective responses to reports of imminent danger, remain severe issues in Iran. Based on years of case investigations by IranWire into gender-based violence, a clear pattern of indifference has emerged on the part of the security forces and the judiciary.
The latest casualty of this official negligence is Parvin Aladini. Within a single day, social media platforms and local outlets were filled with images of the insurance specialist from Masjed Soleyman, who was murdered by a man claiming to be “in love” with her and seeking to marry her.
