An Iranian woman accused of orchestrating the deaths of 11 elderly husbands over a span of 22 years has appeared in court in what is being described as one of the most shocking serial murder cases in the country’s history.
The accused, Kulthum Akbari, is facing multiple counts of premeditated murder and one count of attempted murder. Prosecutors allege that, between 2000 and 2022, she deliberately poisoned her husbands using a lethal mixture of diabetes medication and sexual enhancement drugs. In some instances, she allegedly also administered industrial alcohol.
A Two-Decade Trail of Suspicious Deaths
The case first gained public attention in 2023 after the death of Azizollah Babaei. His son, suspecting foul play, began raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his father’s passing. Investigations revealed that Babaei’s wife at the time was none other than Kulthum Akbari, a woman with a dark history of alleged murder attempts.
Further inquiries linked her to the suspicious deaths of ten other elderly men, all of whom she had married. Authorities claim that Akbari targeted wealthy, older men, married them, and then slowly poisoned them to inherit their wealth.
Because her victims were elderly and suffered from existing health problems, their deaths were initially ruled as natural causes, allowing the alleged killing spree to go undetected for over two decades.
Court Proceedings and Victims’ Families’ Demands
During a hearing at the Sari Revolutionary Court, the families of four victims demanded that Akbari be sentenced to death under Islamic law. In total, more than 45 plaintiffs are involved in the case, making it one of the largest criminal proceedings in Iran in recent years.
Court documents indicate that Akbari has confessed during interrogation to carrying out the murders, although her defense team is pushing for a mental health evaluation, arguing that psychological factors may have influenced her actions.
However, at least one plaintiff firmly rejected this defense, stating that the level of detail and planning involved in the crimes clearly demonstrated intent and awareness.
Motive and Charges
Prosecutors assert that Akbari’s primary motive was financial gain. By marrying elderly men and inheriting their property after their deaths, she allegedly accumulated wealth over the years.
The indictment lists 11 charges of premeditated murder and one charge of attempted murder, with the prosecution pushing for the maximum penalty permitted under the law.
The court has yet to issue a verdict, with proceedings expected to continue until all testimonies, evidence, and legal arguments have been presented.
