Iran Human Rights, May 19: A father killed his 24 years old daughter with a hammer and burned her body, outside Dezful in the province of Khuzestan, reported the Iranian daily newspaper Quds. He told the police that his 24 years old daughter "had been enganged in temporary marriages without his permission, and she had moral "issues". The night f April 30. while she was sleeping I killed her by hitting her with a hammer and then drove her body outside the town and burned it. I told my wife that I would kill her too if she told the police". He was suspected for the murder since honour killings are frequent in the province of Khuzestan.

The incidence of honur killings has been increasing in the past years in Iran. The experts believe it is due to the laws included in the Iranian constitution after the revolution of 1979.

For instance Article 220 of the Iranian Criminal Code states, “If a father – or his male ancestors – kills his child, he will not be condemned for a murder". Likewise, article 1179 of the Civil Code states, “Parents have the right to punish their children within the limits prescribed by law.”

Last week a father killed his 17 years old daughter in Isfahan. The reason was that she had been kidnapped and possibly sexually abused by her brother in law.