A man who brutally beheaded his wife and paraded her severed head around as a trophy has received forgiveness from the victim’s parents, leading to a reduced prison sentence. The disturbing incident took place in Ahvaz, Iran, where Mona Heydari, 17, was violently killed by Sajjad Heydari and his brother Heydar.
Mona, who was forced into marriage at the age of 12, tried to escape her abusive husband by fleeing to Turkey with another man. Despite her father’s efforts to bring her back to Iran, Heydari refused to grant her a divorce, ultimately leading to her tragic death at the hands of her husband, who also happened to be her cousin.
In a shocking turn of events, the killer husband was captured on video holding Mona’s head in one hand and a knife in the other after the gruesome act. He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years for murder, with an additional eight months for intentional assault. Heydari’s brother, who helped dispose of the body, received a 45-month prison term for his role in the crime.
Mona’s father defended the marriage, claiming it was a good match and that the violence between the couple was normal. He mentioned that they had obtained confirmation that Mona was physically mature enough for marriage, despite her young age. The family stated that the husband felt humiliated when Mona ran away, leading to the tragic chain of events.
Reports from the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran revealed that Mona was subjected to domestic abuse and pressured to stay in the marriage despite expressing a desire to divorce. The organization highlighted the prevalence of honor killings in the region, with statistics showing a high number of such incidents in various provinces.
The tragic case shed light on the issue of honor killings in Iran, with calls for stricter laws and enforcement to prevent such heinous crimes from recurring. Despite the forgiveness extended by the victim’s family, the incident has sparked outrage and raised questions about the treatment of women in abusive relationships in the country.