Iranian press review: One honour killing happening every four days, says report
One family femicide every four days
Since July 2021, at least 165 women have been killed by their male family members in Iran, putting the average number of so-called honour killings in this period at an alarming one murder every four days.
The Shargh daily, in an investigative report, probed the cases and wrote that most murders took place in the Tehran province, contrary to popular belief that femicides are more common in rural areas and small cities.
On Wednesday, the daily reported that during the past two years, 41 murders took place in Tehran province.
The report added that these numbers only revealed the official case data, as experts believe the actual numbers are much higher.
"This number does not include the several cases in which women were forced by their family members to commit suicide or the cases in which women decided to end their lives to end domestic violence or child marriages," wrote the daily.
The report added that 108 of these women were killed by their husbands, 17 by their brothers, 13 by their fathers, nine by their sons, and 18 were killed by other family members such as their in-laws and cousins.
According to Shargh, 43 women were killed by firearms such as hunting guns, pistols and Kalashnikovs; 40 women were stabbed, six were burnt, and four were killed with a hammer.
Falling from a height, mutilation and stone-throwing were among the other ways of killing women in Iran.
UN representative praises support for women
A United Nations representative "has hailed" Iran's attempts to improve development outcomes for women, Iran's judiciary official news agency Mizan reported.
In an exclusive interview with Mizan, Stefan Priesner spoke about the Iranian authorities' support for Afghan refugees, the negative impact of sanctions on ordinary people, women's progress in Iran and the nationwide vaccination programme to contain the pandemic.
"From the UN viewpoint, Iran has gained outstanding achievements related to women's progress, specifically in the field of education," Mizan quoted him as saying.
The remarks by the UN's top official in Iran were reported six months after member states at the UN Commission on the Status of Women voted to remove Tehran from the UN body following the demonstrations that rocked Iran last year.
The anti-establishment protests began after a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of Iran's morality police after being arrested for "inappropriate hijab".
Mizan also quoted the UN's resident coordinator for the Islamic Republic as saying: "We understand the development related to Iran's membership to the Commission on the Status of Women. The member states made that decision, and the UN secretariat had no role in that."
Senior official's release sparks anger
The release from prison of the most high-ranking official to be tried and convicted in a corruption case has caused anger among Iranians, with many drawing a contrast between his release and the many journalists and political activists who remain in prison.
Akbar Tabari, a senior official in Iran's judiciary, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2020 for receiving thousands of dollars in cash, luxurious apartments and villas in bribes.
Last week Iran's judiciary said that Tabari was "neither in prison nor on a prison furlough".
Local media reported that Tabari was released on a three-trillion-rial bail, awaiting a ruling from Iran's Administrative Court of Justice.
For over two decades before his arrest, Tabari was known as the judicial system's most powerful man in the shadows.
In one of the sessions of the court hearing and in response to the judge's questions about the reason why some people offered him valuable pieces of land in the affluent town of Lavasan, he said: "It is about friendship; if you don't have such friends it's not my problem."
Following Tabari's release on bail, many Iranians quoted that remark on Persian social media and criticised the country's judicial system.
"Don't know, but maybe this is our fault that we have not been good friends for Elaheh [Mohammadi] and Niloofar [Hamedi]. It's our fault that our friendship is not the type the Islamic Republic likes. Forgive us" wrote one Iranian journalist, Farhad Fakhrabadi, referring to two journalists kept in pre-trial detention since September.
"How much is three trillion? How many zeros does it have? What does it look like? Why do all big sums of money end up in the pocket of your friends?" wrote another user on Twitter.
*Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye
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