Goli Kouhkan, a 25-year-old who was forced into marriage at 12 and later sentenced to death for her husband’s 2018 killing, has been released after her sentence was revoked following a family accord and payment of diyah (blood money). Rights groups say the husband was abusive and that Kouhkan was denied protections as an undocumented member of the Baluch minority. UN experts and Iran Human Rights have highlighted the case as symptomatic of wider problems — including child marriage, domestic violence, and a sharp rise in executions in Iran.
Child Bride Goli Kouhkan Freed After Death Sentence Revoked Following Family Accord
The woman had married her husband when she was just 12 (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)(Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/AFP)
Iranian authorities have released Goli Kouhkan, a 25-year-old woman who had been condemned to death for the 2018 killing of her husband. Rights groups say Kouhkan — a member of the Baluch minority who lacked official documentation — was forced into marriage at 12, endured years of domestic abuse and was sentenced to hanging until her sentence was revoked under an agreement with the deceased man’s family.
How the Release Was Secured
Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported that Kouhkan’s execution was halted this week after so-called "blood money" (diyah) was raised to compensate the husband’s family, allowing her sentence to be revoked and leading to her release from a prison in Golestan province. Iranian state television quoted Golestan judiciary chief Heydar Asiabi confirming her release and broadcast a photograph of Kouhkan in a chador, shown from the back alongside officials.
Case Details
UN human rights experts and rights groups say Kouhkan was married at age 12 to a cousin and gave birth at 13. They report that both she and her child suffered violent abuse from her husband. Kouhkan was sentenced to death alongside a cousin she called for help when the husband was allegedly beating her and their son; a fight broke out and the husband was killed. IHR says the cousin, Mohammad Abil, remains on death row and faces possible execution.
Wider Human Rights Concerns
Advocates say Kouhkan’s case highlights systemic problems in Iran's treatment of child marriage, undocumented minorities and survivors of domestic violence. According to IHR, Iranian authorities have executed more than 40 women this year, many convicted of killing abusive husbands or relatives, and at least 1,426 people were hanged in Iran up to the end of November 2025.
UN Comment: The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said: "We celebrate one life saved, but we cannot ignore the institutional injustices that nearly killed Goli Kouhkan."
Calls For Reform
Human rights groups and UN experts continue to call for legal reforms to better protect children and survivors of domestic violence, and to address discrimination against undocumented and minority communities. IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam warned that Kouhkan’s story is not unique, noting that at least two child brides were executed in Iran in 2025.
Human rights advocates say the outcome — secured through a family accord and payment of diyah rather than systemic legal protections — underscores the urgent need for reform to prevent similar cases in the future.
