A young Iranian woman, who was forced into marriage as a child, is now facing imminent execution for the death of her abusive husband, according to a stark warning from United Nations human rights experts.
A Life of Coercion and Violence
Goli Kouhkan, an undocumented Baluch woman now aged 25, is scheduled to be executed this month. Eight independent UN experts issued a statement on Tuesday highlighting her case as a shocking example of systemic discrimination within Iran's criminal justice system.
The experts revealed that Kouhkan was subjected to a forced marriage with her cousin when she was just 12 years old. By the age of 13, she gave birth to her son at home without any medical assistance. For years, she endured severe physical and psychological abuse while also working as a farm labourer.
The Fatal Night and a Flawed Trial
The tragic culmination occurred in May 2018 when Kouhkan was 18. Her husband violently attacked both her and their five-year-old son. In desperation, she called a relative for help, which led to an altercation that ended with her husband being killed.
The UN statement stresses that Kouhkan, who is illiterate and had no legal representation, was reportedly coerced into accepting full responsibility for the death. 'Goli Kouhkan is a survivor of domestic violence and a victim of the justice system,' the experts declared.
Execution Looms Over Inability to Pay
Under Iran's sharia law, the victim's family can forgo execution in exchange for 'blood money' (diya). However, the amount demanded in Kouhkan's case is the equivalent of $90,000. The UN experts stated this sum is 'considerably higher than the recommended rate and far beyond her reach.'
'Kouhkan faces execution not based on justice, but because she cannot afford to pay for her life,' they charged. They argue her execution would represent a profound injustice, with the state killing a woman who acted to defend herself and her child after years of gender-based violence.
A Broader Pattern of Discrimination
The experts connected Kouhkan's plight to a wider, alarming trend in Iran. They pointed out that of the 241 women executed in the country between 2010 and 2024, nearly half were sentenced for homicide, primarily of husbands or intimate partners.
'Many of these women were victims of domestic violence or child marriage, or acted in self-defence,' the statement noted. The experts concluded that carrying out Kouhkan's execution would constitute a grave violation of international human rights law.
According to human rights organisations like Amnesty International, Iran holds the grim distinction of being the world's second most prolific executioner after China.
