Child Brides, Death Sentences: Iran’s Twisted “Divine Justice”

Child Brides, Death Sentences: Iran’s Twisted “Divine Justice”

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | April 20, 2026

TEHRAN, Iran – In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a chilling paradox unfolds daily: while the state’s justice system enforces capital punishment for a broad spectrum of “crimes against God,” it simultaneously sanctions and promotes the marriage of young girls, effectively condemning them to a stolen childhood.

This investigative report uncovers the stark realities of legally enshrined child marriage, the expansive reach of Iran’s death penalty, and the profound hypocrisy at the heart of a justice system where age is no barrier to matrimony, yet belief can be a death sentence.

As critical US-Iran negotiations loom, a unified plea for justice reforms—specifically targeting child marriage and the scope of capital punishment—must be integral to discussions.

The Hypocrisy of “Divine Justice”: Death for Dissent, Sanction for Child Marriage

Under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, individuals face the ultimate penalty for “Moharebeh” (enmity against God), “Efsad-fil-Arz” (corruption on earth), and “Baghy” (armed rebellion). These vaguely defined charges are routinely leveraged against political dissidents, protesters, and those deemed to have insulted the Prophet or Islam.

With over 25,000 executions recorded in 2025 alone, Iran boasts one of the world’s highest execution rates, often through Revolutionary Courts criticized for their lack of transparency and due process. From renouncing Islam (apostasy) to blasphemy, sodomy, and adultery, a wide array of actions can be interpreted as capital offenses, often through judicial invocation of Sharia principles where codified law is silent.

Yet, as the state wields this iron fist in the name of divine order, it maintains a disturbing silence, and in some cases, actively promotes a practice that shatters the lives of its youngest citizens: child marriage.

Child Marriage: A State-Sanctioned Crisis Normalized on National Television

Child marriage in Iran is not a historical anomaly but a legally entrenched crisis. Rooted in a Sharia-based interpretation of the Civil Code, the minimum marriage age is set at 13 for girls and 15 for boys. However, a deeply concerning loophole allows girls as young as 9 lunar years (roughly 8 years and 9 months) to be married with the consent of a male guardian and judicial approval. This effectively means there is no absolute minimum age for marriage in Iran, leaving thousands of girls vulnerable to systemic abuse annually.

What amplifies this crisis is the active role of state institutions, particularly the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the national television network. Far from condemning the practice, IRIB programming and state-aligned figures have repeatedly normalized child marriage, portraying it as religiously sanctioned, desirable, or even humorously acceptable. This media endorsement embeds the practice into public discourse, desensitizing society to its profound harms and fundamentally undermining the welfare of children.

Legal Loopholes and Alarming Statistics

The legal framework in Iran, even after a girl reaches 13, continues to diminish her autonomy, requiring the permission of a male guardian for her first marriage. The actual prevalence of child marriage is likely far higher than official figures, largely due to unregistered or “temporary” marriages (sigheh).

Annual Totals

Approximately 135,000 marriages involving girls under 18 are recorded each year.

Under-15 Statistics

In 2022, official records reveal around 27,000 marriages of girls under 15, a figure that tragically increased by 20% from the previous year.

Proportional Impact

Child marriages constitute roughly one-fifth of all registered marriages in the country.

Geographic Hotspots

The practice is alarmingly prevalent in economically deprived regions, including Khorasan Razavi, East Azerbaijan, and Sistan and Baluchestan.

Driving Factors: Poverty, Population Goals, and Online Platforms

Several factors converge to fuel this crisis:

Economic Pressures

Impoverished families often marry off daughters to alleviate financial burdens or to access state-offered “marriage loans.”

Government Policy

Critics argue that the Iranian government’s policies aimed at increasing the national population inadvertently encourage early marriage, prioritizing demographic goals over child safety.

Social Platforms

Disturbingly, some licensed matchmaking sites in Iran have been found to allow the registration of children as young as 13 as marriage candidates, further legitimizing and facilitating the practice.

Devastating Consequences: Stolen Childhoods and Fatal Outcomes

The impact on these young girls is catastrophic, robbing them of their fundamental rights to education, health, and protection:

Education

Approximately 20% of girls aged 15 to 18 drop out of school due to early marriage, trapping them in cycles of poverty and limited opportunity.

Health Risks

 Around 1,450 babies are born annually to married girls under 15, leading to high-risk pregnancies and severe health complications for both mother and child, including higher rates of maternal mortality and birth defects.

Violence and Suicide

Girls forced into early marriages face significantly higher risks of domestic abuse and “honor”-related violence. Tragically, in 2024, at least two minors committed suicide due to familial pressure to marry, starkly illustrating the ultimate price of this societal and legal failing.

The Expansive Reach of Capital Punishment: “Crimes Against God”

While the state turns a blind eye or even facilitates the marriage of children, its judicial system relentlessly pursues a broad range of “crimes against God” punishable by death. These include:

Moharebeh (Enmity against God)

Often applied to those who take up arms against the state or cause insecurity, a charge frequently leveled against political dissidents.

Efsad-fil-Arz (Corruption on Earth)

A sweeping charge for actions deemed to severely damage the state or society, often used to suppress dissent.

Apostasy

Renouncing Islam, though not always explicitly codified, frequently leads to a death sentence through judicial interpretation of Sharia, violating fundamental freedoms of religion and belief.

Blasphemy

Cursing the Prophet of Islam or the infallible Imams is explicitly punishable by death, curtailing freedom of expression.

Sodomy/Adultery

 These “Hudud crimes” can result in death, particularly for repeat offenders or under specific circumstances. The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, controversially defended these executions in 2019, stating that “moral principles” are respected, a position that human rights activists say has led to many executions for homosexuality since 1979, constituting gross human rights violations.

Sexual Offences

The Islamic Penal Code (IPC) outlines death sentences for various sexual acts including incest, fornication with a stepmother, fornication of a non-Muslim man with a Muslim woman, and forced fornication. For same-sex relations (lavat), the “active party” can face death if married or if force is involved, while the “passive party” faces the death penalty regardless of marital status. Lesbianism can also be punishable by death on the fourth offense.

These charges, often processed through Revolutionary Courts, are criticized for their vague definitions, which allow for excessive and often politically motivated application. Despite Article 22 of the Iranian Constitution stating that “The dignity, life, property, rights, domicile, and occupations of people may not be violated, unless sanctioned by law,” the sheer number of capital offenses in Iran is among the highest globally, often failing to meet international standards for “most serious crimes” and due process.

A Unified Plea: Justice Reforms for US-Iran Negotiations

The juxtaposition of state-sanctioned child marriage and the widespread application of the death penalty for a multitude of offenses reveals a profound and devastating hypocrisy within Iran’s justice system. This dual injustice denies the most fundamental rights to its citizens – from the right to childhood and safety for its girls, to the right to life and fair trial for those accused of “crimes against God.”

As the United States and Iran engage in future negotiations, it is imperative that the international community, particularly the U.S. government, integrate a robust human rights agenda into all discussions. A plea for justice reforms from the Iranian people must be heard and acted upon. Specifically, negotiations must include:

An immediate and unequivocal ban on child marriage, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 for all without exception.

A drastic reduction in the scope of the death penalty, limiting it strictly to “most serious crimes” as defined by international law, and eliminating its application for non-violent offenses, political dissent, and victimless acts.

Commitment to international fair trial standards, including transparent legal proceedings, access to legal counsel, and the elimination of Revolutionary Courts for political and social charges.

Without addressing these profound human rights abuses, any diplomatic engagement risks tacitly condoning a system that systematically violates the dignity and fundamental rights of the Iranian people. The time for justice reforms in Iran is long overdue, and the world must demand accountability.