IRAN — Marzieh Nayeri was 24 years old when she was executed
at Choobindar Prison in Qazvin, Iran. She had been sentenced to death for the
murder of her husband after, according to human rights organizations, claiming
she acted in self-defense during an incident of violence and an attempted
sexual assault.
Nayeri was executed at dawn on Saturday, August 8, 2026,
according to reports from the organizations Hengaw and Iran Human Rights, later
cited by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). At the time of the
initial reports, Iranian judicial authorities and state media had not publicly
announced the execution.
Nayeri’s story began years earlier. Reports indicate that,
at age 17, her family forced her into marriage with a man identified as Davoud,
a marriage she did not choose.
The incident that landed her on death row occurred in 2021,
when she was 18 years old. According to accounts gathered by human rights
organizations, her husband was at home with a business partner identified as
Alireza. Alireza allegedly attempted to sexually assault her.
Nayeri stated that she grabbed a kitchen knife to defend
herself. During the struggle, she wounded the man, and her husband later died
from the injuries inflicted with the same weapon.
After the incident, she fled and sought refuge at her
brother's house. Four days later, she was turned over to the police.