At least 15 women have been executed this year in Iran, human rights activists have told AFP. Most women executed in Iran recently have been hanged for murder, mainly cases over the killings of a husband or partner.

Iran’s regime carries out retribution hangings without considering extenuating circumstances such as domestic violence.

A recent case is Susan Rezaeipour, executed for the murder of her husband, who regularly beat her. In 2014, 26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged for murdering an intelligence officer who tried to sexually assault her.

Iran’s judicial system discriminates against women, setting the criminal responsibility age of girls at 9 as opposed to 15 boys.

Also, court testimonies from women carries less legal weight than those of men.