Honor killing? Parents murder, dismember Iranian filmmaker for not marrying
What's the story
Babak Khorramdin, an Iranian film director, was brutally murdered and dismembered by his own parents for not getting married. The parents of the 47-year-old have confessed to this killing, which they committed after he returned from London to his hometown in Iran. This isn't the first kill for the couple. They also killed their daughter three years ago and their son-in-law 10 years ago.
What happpened
The father confessed to the gruesome murder at court
The father killed his son after allegedly having an argument over getting married. He confessed of his crime to Mohammad Shahriari, head of the Tehran Criminal Court. In his account, he said that he anesthetized Khorramdin, stabbed him to death, chopped up his body, and threw it in the garbage. Police found the severed body parts inside trash bags and a suitcase in Tehran.
Quote
'He was harassing us. Our lives were at stake.'
His father alleged that they didn't feel safe around him. "My son was single. He was harassing us. Our lives were at stake. We were not safe for a day. He cursed and did whatever he wanted. His mother and I decided. 'We got rid of him so that we wouldn't lose our reputation anymore.'" He reportedly said, "I feel no remorse at all."
Information
Who was Babak Khorramdin?
Khorramdin graduated with a Master's degree in Cinema from the University of Tehran in 2009. The following year, he went to London to pursue his film studies, and returned to Iran to teach. The filmmaker worked on many short films, including Crevice and Oath to Yashar. It's a story about a young man who moves to England and misses his family back home.
Reaction
Honor killings still not being addressed in Iran, says journalist
Unfortunately, honor killings are becoming prevalent in Iran, with multiple cases being reported. Jason Brodsky, a journalist at Iran International TV, told Daily Mail, "I think the horrific death of Babak Khorramdin is only the latest example of a long pattern of domestic violence that we have seen in Iran." "This is an area the international community needs to address with Iran," he concluded.