Iran: Serial Killer on Trial for Admitting to Killing 11 Husbands Over Two Decades

Koltoum Akbari (55 years old) is facing a criminal trial after admitting to killing 11 men she married over twenty years, in a case that has shocked Iranian public opinion due to her meticulous planning and "quiet" execution of the crimes.

According to the local newspaper "Haft Sobh", Akbari would choose her victims from wealthy elderly men, presenting herself as the "ideal wife" before she began gradually poisoning them by dissolving diabetes or blood pressure medications in their drinks. Investigations revealed that she would slowly increase the doses to avoid raising suspicions, until the deaths appeared "natural" due to the victims' health conditions.

In one case, she used a mixture of industrial alcohol and then suffocated the victim with a pillow to inherit a large piece of land that belonged to him. Evidence from the prosecution indicated that she had contracted 18 temporary marriages and 19 permanent marriages, suggesting that the number of her victims may exceed twenty.

The matter came to light in September 2023 after the death of her octogenarian husband, Gholam Reza Babaei, who expressed his suspicions about her before his death. Reports from his family led to the revelation of her series of crimes.

According to the court record, Akbari initially denied the charges but later confessed after a video reenactment of the crimes was shown. She told the judge: "If I had known things would come to this, I wouldn't have done it," while one of the victims' relatives described her actions as "premeditated with full awareness".

Families of 4 victims attended the session demanding retribution, while the judiciary awaits requests from the remaining families, which number 45 complainants. They urged the media to avoid presenting the case as entertainment, emphasizing that it has left "deep wounds".

For its part, the prosecution rejected the defense's claims of a psychological disorder, asserting that her choice of medications "indicates a calculated criminal behavior".

The trial is set to resume next week amid expectations of increasing demands for the maximum penalties.