Iran Executes Woman Convicted of Killing Four-Year-Old Stepdaughter

Iran on Saturday carried out the execution of a woman in the country’s northwest after she was convicted of killing her four-year-old stepdaughter, according to the judiciary.

The child, identified as Ava, died in December 2023 after suffering brain injuries caused by wounds inflicted by her stepmother, the judiciary’s Mizan Online news outlet reported at the time.

After legal proceedings, the woman was sentenced in March 2024 to qisas — Islamic law of retribution — which allows the victim’s family to demand the death penalty. The verdict was later upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court.

Naser Atabati, the chief justice of West Azerbaijan province where the crime occurred, said the execution was carried out at dawn on Saturday. He added that Ava’s mother “had firmly demanded” retribution.

The authorities did not disclose the name of the executed woman.

Iran, which maintains the death penalty for crimes including murder and rape, usually carries out executions by hanging at dawn. According to human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Iran is the world’s second most prolific user of capital punishment after China.

Opinion Nigeria News