The Husband of Azam, the Injured Woman from Mashhad, Sentenced to 30 Years and 6 Months in Prison

Two Iranian news agencies reported that a man in Mashhad, who had imprisoned his wife Azam and their two children for 21 days, subjecting them to "torture and abuse," has been sentenced by a primary court to 30 years and six months in prison, of which 15 years and six months will be enforced. Reports on Sunday, December 7, from ISNA and Tasnim indicate that the third branch of the Criminal Court of Khorasan Province has sentenced the Mashhadi man for imprisoning his wife Azam and their two children for 21 days and subjecting them to "torture and abuse." In this regard, Marzieh Mohibi, the defense attorney for Azam, the injured woman from Mashhad, stated that the man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for "kidnapping through imprisonment and concealment," 10 years for "attempted murder," 5 years for "causing injury with a knife," and 6 months for "child abuse." According to Ms. Mohibi, the court also ordered the defendant to pay compensation due to 27 instances of burns, a broken nose, a torn eye vein, and other injuries inflicted on the woman and her children. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the longest sentence of 15 years and six months will be enforced from the total sentences issued for these charges. According to Article 134 of the new Islamic Penal Code, although the judge issues independent punishments for each crime, the more severe punishment must be enforced at the execution stage. The court hearing for the defendant's charges was held on November 19 in the third branch of the Criminal Court of Razavi Khorasan Province, and the defendant remains in custody. ISNA reported on April 3 with images of the torture and injury of a young woman named Azam, who was imprisoned and tortured by her husband along with their two daughters, aged 5 and 7, for 21 days in Mashhad. Reports indicate that in addition to burn marks and injuries on Azam's body and a broken nose, it was reported that her husband "tore her anus with a knife," "broke the jaw and three teeth" of her first-grade daughter Hanieh with heavy blows, and intended to "suffocate" his young children. The attorney for the injured woman from Mashhad stated on Sunday in an interview with ISNA that "being placed in a metal box with a fire lit underneath it," "knife injuries," "burning the body," "causing injury with fists and kicks and abuse" were among the "tortures" the defendant inflicted on Azam. She mentioned that Azam's children were also deprived of food and water during this time and were subjected to abuse. The publication of reports about the condition of this woman received significant attention, including the newspaper Qanoon printing a blank front page on Saturday, April 4, stating that "due to the horrifying nature of the images related to the torture of Azam and her children, and to express sympathy with all victims of domestic violence, we refrain from publishing a front page image." Officials from the Welfare Organization have reported in recent years about 25 to 30 daily calls to the social emergency hotline regarding spousal abuse across Iran. According to Habibollah Masoudi, the deputy of the Welfare Organization, six percent of calls to the social emergency hotline last year, amounting to 9,000 calls, were related to spousal abuse, indicating that more than 24 calls per day are made to the national social emergency hotline regarding spousal abuse. Statistics show that most cases of spousal abuse are committed by men, while about three percent are perpetrated by women. In addressing the phenomenon of spousal abuse and domestic violence, the Women and Family Affairs Department of the Presidency previously prepared a bill titled "Comprehensive Bill for Ensuring Women's Security Against Violence" for government approval and submission to the parliament. This bill was supposed to be sent for review to the Cabinet in September of this year, but at the end of October, Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Deputy for Women and Family Affairs of the Presidency, announced that "currently 30 research groups and teams are working in this area to present a comprehensive bill with deterrent and preventive measures, legal, protective, and supportive." She expressed hope that "with the approval of this bill, we will witness a reduction in violence against women and children." Ms. Molaverdi also pointed out existing issues in the Islamic Penal Code and added that "we are trying to implement a gender perspective in the reform of this law in cooperation with the judiciary." She also mentioned that these reforms are being pursued in "20 articles of civil law." This official in women's and family affairs reported in 2014 the disappearance of 32 volumes of results from a national study on forms of domestic violence against women, stating that no copies exist in the Ministry of Interior. According to United Nations assessments, one in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime. On Friday, Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated in a message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women that violence against women and girls is not only a violation of human rights but also a "serious obstacle" to sustainable development. Meanwhile, many social media users in recent days have changed their profile pictures as part of the United Nations' Orange Campaign to end violence against women, which runs from November 25 to December 10. In this context, the parliament's involvement in the case of Azam's domestic torture and her daughters in Mashhad is highlighted.