Latest news with #GholamrezaBabaei
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Black widow' killer 56, who fatally poisoned 11 husbands over two decades for inheritance faces execution
AN Iranian woman is facing execution after allegedly killing 11 elderly husbands over 22 years in a chilling bid to inherit their wealth. Kulthum Akbari, 56, admitted to a serial murder spree that went undetected for more than two decades. 3 3 Prosecutors claim she used diabetes drugs, sedatives, and in some cases, industrial alcohol to fatally poison her spouses. She would then transfer inherited property and dowries into her daughter's name, reports Gulf News. The killings began in 2000 and continued until 2023, when the suspicious death of her final victim - 82-year-old Gholamreza Babaei - led to her arrest. Babaei's son reportedly became suspicious after a family friend revealed his own father had previously been married to a woman named Kolsum who had tried to poison him. When the family recognised her as Babaei's recent wife, they alerted police. The murders spanned across multiple cities in Iran's northern Mazandaran province, including Sari, Neka, Mahmoudabad, Babol and Qaemshahr. Under interrogation, Akbari told investigators: "I don't know how many I killed. Maybe it was 13 or 15 people. I don't remember exactly." Akbari, dubbed by Iranian media as the 'Black Widow', eventually confessed to murdering 11 men and attempting to kill another, according to court documents. Masih Nemati survived Akbari's poisoning attempt after drinking contaminated syrup in 2020. Several of the confirmed victims include Mirahmad Omrani, 69, who died a month after their 2013 marriage, Esmail Bakhshi, 62, who lost his life two months after their 2016 marriage, along with Ganjali Hamzei, 83, who died 43 days after their marriage. Her first marriage took place when she was 18 years old with a man whom, according to her relatives, suffered from mental health problems. Her second marriage was to a much older man, with whom she lived for years and reportedly endured beatings by her husband and stepsons. After his death, she attended women's gatherings, where she publicly spoke about her desire to marry elderly, lonely men. "The defendant was skilled at covering her tracks,' prosecutors told the court. 'Most of the victims appeared to have died of natural causes due to their age and chronic illnesses, allowing her to continue for decades without raising suspicion.' Over 45 individuals have joined the case as plaintiffs. The alleged killer faces 11 charges of premeditated murder and one charge of attempted murder. Her defence argued that her mental health ought to be assessed. But plaintiffs rejected the claim, with a family member reportedly stating: 'Such a skillful plan that deceived many prominent families cannot be the work of an insane person.' During the hearing on Wednesday in the Sari Revolutionary Court, the families of four victims demanded that Akbari be sentenced to death - a punishment legal in Iran since 1979. A verdict is set to be announced after the final hearings have taken place. The case has shocked the country, provoking widespread discussion and even inspiring a show on state TV that aired during Persian New Year holidays to create a character like her - though Akbari was not explicitly referenced. Victims' families said they were hurt that the case has become subject to memes and jokes on social media. A family member of one victim said: 'This incident was difficult and terrifying for us because the victims of this crime were our fathers. 'Now instead of witnessing swift justice and a thorough investigation of this case, we are seeing jokes that deepen our grief.' It comes as Iran has executed a nuclear scientist accused of passing sensitive information to Israel's Mossad amid an intensifying crackdown on alleged foreign spies. Roozbeh Vadi reportedly worked as a nuclear expert at the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran. Meanwhile, one of Iran's longest-serving prisoners recently revealed how the execution rate has spiralled in the last month in a harrowing letter written behind bars. Saeed Masouri, who has spent 25 years behind bars, wrote an emotional letter, which was smuggled out of the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison in Iran and shared with The Sun by Iran Human Rights Monitor. Death penalty in Iran Since 1979, the death penalty has been legal in Iran. Over 200 acts - including murder, rape, adultery and sodomy - carry capital punishment. The majority of people sentenced to death are convicted on drug trafficking charges. The primary method of execution is hanging, with the condemned individual hung from a crane or a stool with a noose around their neck. While executions most often take place in prison complexes, they can also occur publicly at the location of the crime. Iran executed at least 901 people in 2024, according to the UN. The year before, 853 people were reportedly executed - a number that accounted for 74 percent of all recorded executions worldwide, according to Amnesty International.
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Telegraph
‘Black widow' who fatally poisoned 11 elderly husbands for inheritance faces execution
A woman who poisoned 11 husbands to death over a 22-year period is facing execution in Iran. Kolsum Akbari, 56, systematically married elderly men before murdering them with diabetes drugs and industrial alcohol to inherit their property and dowries. The killings went undetected for more than two decades because victims appeared to die of natural causes due to their advanced age and existing health conditions. Akbari confessed to the killings and she is awaiting sentencing, with victims' family members calling for her execution. The killings began in 2000 and continued until 2023, when the death of her final victim, 82-year-old Gholamreza Babaei, led to her arrest. Babaei's son became suspicious after a family friend revealed his own father had previously been married to a woman named Kolsum who had tried to poison him. The family recognised her as Babaei's most recent wife and contacted police. During interrogation, Akbari confessed to the murders, though she gave conflicting accounts on the number of victims. Unsuccessful union 'I don't know how many I killed. Maybe it was 13 or 15 people. I don't remember exactly,' she said. She first married at the age of 18 in what relatives described as a brief and unsuccessful union with a man suffering from mental health problems. Her second marriage was to a much older man with children from a previous marriage. She lived with him in a northern village for years while reportedly suffering repeated beatings from her husband and stepsons. After his death, Akbari would attend women's gatherings and express interest in marrying elderly, lonely men. She would gain access to potential victims through their daughters' acquaintances and after confirming their financial status, she would agree to marriage with high dowries. She then gradually poisoned victims with combinations of blood pressure medications, diabetes drugs, sedatives and in some cases industrial alcohol. When drugs alone proved insufficient, she would suffocate victims with pillows and towels. The murders happened across multiple cities in northern Mazandaran province, including Sari, Neka, Mahmoudabad, Babol and Qaemshahr. Geographic distribution The geographic distribution helped prevent authorities from connecting the deaths for years. Among the confirmed victims were Mirahmad Omrani, 69, who died a month after their marriage in 2013, Esmail Bakhshi, 62, who died two months after their 2016 wedding, and Ganjali Hamzei, 83, who died 43 days after marrying. One man, Masih Nemati, survived Akbari's poisoning attempt in 2020 after drinking contaminated syrup. He expelled her from his home but did not file a police complaint. At Wednesday's hearing in the Sari Revolutionary Court, families of four victims demanded Akbari's execution under the Islamic law. The case involves more than 45 plaintiffs, including direct heirs and relatives of dead family members. Akbari initially denied the charges but confessed to the killings when crime scene reconstruction footage was played in court. Her lawyer argued for a mental health evaluation, but plaintiffs rejected the claim. Property and dowries 'Such a skilful plan that deceived many prominent families cannot be the work of an insane person,' one family member said, mentioning the sophisticated drug combinations and careful planning involved. The indictment includes 11 counts of premeditated murder and one count of attempted murder. Akbari typically transferred inherited property and dowries to her daughter's name, prosecutors said. The case has become a cultural phenomenon in Iran, spawning jokes among couples and inspiring a popular state television series that aired during Persian New Year holidays to name a character after her. While the show did not explicitly reference Akbari, Iranian audiences understood the connection and generated additional satirical content about the case. Victims' families expressed frustration that the case has become fodder for social media jokes. 'This incident was difficult and terrifying for us because the victims of this crime were our fathers,' a family member of one victim said. 'Now instead of witnessing swift justice and a thorough investigation of this case, we are seeing jokes that deepen our grief.'
