Iranian ‘Black Widow’ accused of killing a dozen men handed 10 death sentences by Iranian court
The woman said she would marry men temporarily and, after living with them for around two to three months, would kill her victims by giving them pills or dissolving the pills in their drinks.
Iranian "Black Widow" Kolthoum Akbari, aged 56, was recently handed 10 death sentences by the Mazandaran Judiciary after admitting to killing 12 out of her 13 husbands. One victim reportedly forgave her, while another family promised forgiveness upon payment of diyah (blood money). All of Akbari's possessions are to be seized by the courts.
She was initially arrested in September 2023 following the suspected murder of her 82-year-old "temporary" husband, and it later emerged that she had been married a dozen times before, with each marriage ending in her husband's death.
Iranian law recognizes sigheh, or mut ah (temporary marriage), as a legally valid union between a man and woman for a predetermined period, backed by a specified dowry and verbal contract without witnesses. In contrast to permanent marriages, temporary spouses do not automatically inherit under Article 940 of Iran's Civil Code. Akbari received 5 billion rials for her temporary marriage to her 82-year-old husband, who accused her of forcing him to take heart and blood pressure medication, causing him to pass out repeatedly.
Shortly after his demise, his children approached the police with allegations against their father's temporary wife, accusing her of murder. It was during the investigation that Akbari confessed to the killings of the 82-year-old and 11 others between 2000 and 2023. She claimed she would marry the men temporarily for two to three months before killing them using pills or by dissolving them in their drinks.
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