Iran: Child Bride Spared Execution After Blood Money, Cousin Still Faces Death
Goli Kouhkan, a 25-year-old child bride sentenced to death in Iran for her husband’s murder, has had her execution halted after his parents accepted approximately £70,000 in blood money. Kouhkan was arrested at 18 and spent seven years on death row, facing qisas (retribution-in-kind) for allegedly participating in her abusive husband’s death. Her case highlights systemic gender bias in Iran’s justice system, where child brides and victims of domestic violence often face severe penalties. While the payment saved her life, concerns remain about the qisas law, which violates international standards.
John Q. Hosedrinker