An Iranian father has admitted to gunning down his teenage daughter after discovering she was having an affair with a young man, but said the killing was accidental and meant to “frighten” her.
The newspaper reportedDaily MailMuhammad Qassem Lashkari, 43, from Britain, became enraged when he saw his 15-year-old daughter Ariana Lashkari with a young man in a park in Iran.
After being arrested, Muhammad said he wanted to scare his daughter with a gun, and he accidentally shot her, killing her on June 27 in Nurabad, southern Iran.
He told police: “After an argument, Ariana went to my mother’s house and I couldn’t control my anger. I went there with my gun to scare her. I didn’t really mean to kill my daughter. She shot at me. Will.”
But one of Ariana’s relatives said her father killed her because she defied him, saying she didn’t want a life of oppression.
In an interview, Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist for human and women’s rights, added: “Ariana was not satisfied with her father’s injustice,” then continued, “She wanted to choose her lifestyle and be free-spirited. Accept her. Her father had a hard time seeing.”
He confirmed that Ariana is a quiet girl who confidently goes to school every day.
He continued, describing her as “very nice and caring, adored by all her friends and colleagues,” adding, “We’re still in shock and can’t believe Ariana is gone forever.”
“Ariana’s father believed his daughter’s lifestyle was against the family’s honor, so he shot and killed his 15-year-old daughter on Monday in the center of the Iranian city of Nurabad,” Masih Alinejad said.
Ariana’s father believed his daughter’s lifestyle was against family honor, so he shot his 15-year-old daughter in the heart on Monday in Nurabad, Iran.
Listen to a relative: Aryana Lashkari is a happy schoolgirl. Her classmates loved her. pic.twitter.com/Kr5g9voNEQ— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) June 30, 2022
The Iranian regime is trying hard to keep the tragedy out of the media, and the “Daily Mail” quoted the same person as telling an Iranian human rights activist, “I hope there will be no blood for this innocent girl. Trampled like so many other girls killed this way.”
The death penalty in Iran is usually the death penalty, however, killing a child or grandchild by a parent or grandparent is an exception and carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
Between 15 and 18 percent of killings in Iran are honor-related, and 62 percent of crimes involve women.
A neighbor told local media that Mohamed was a drug addict, that he had divorced his wife, was living with Ariana and her sister, and that he had made death threats.
While the teenager’s death is still under investigation, a neighbor said they suspect she was operating under the influence.
“Award-winning beer geek. Extreme coffeeaholic. Introvert. Avid travel specialist. Hipster-friendly communicator.”
