Two Iraqi parents in Washington state are currently facing trial in the Thurston County Superior Court for allegedly attempting to execute an “honor killing” of their 17-year-old daughter after she refused to go to a foreign country as part of an arranged marriage to an older man.
According to Fox News, 44-year-old Ihsan Ali and 40-year-old Zahraa Ali have been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, and second-degree domestic violence assault. Zahraa Ali has also been charged with second-degree burglary and for violating a domestic violence protective order, while Ihsan has been charged with fourth-degree assault.
Fox News reported that the alleged “honor killing” attempt occurred outside Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington, on October 18, 2024. The outlet noted that the 17-year-old victim told law enforcement officials that her Ihsan Ali was “trying to force her to go to another country, which had prompted her to run away earlier in the day.”
The victim explained that she was planning to travel on a city bus from the school to a local shelter that her school counselor had helped her find. However, an affidavit obtained by Fox News claimed that Ihsan Ali allegedly approached the victim while she was waiting for the bus and told her that she “needed to go home.”
READ MORE: Video: Parents violently choke their own daughter in ‘honor killing’ incident
“He would not take no for an answer and began pulling at her shirt,” the affidavit stated. “She said that once she was placed into a choke hold, she was unable to breathe or speak, and then passed out.” The affidavit also noted that the 17-year-old claimed she lost consciousness multiple times as her father attempted to choke her.
According to The Post Millennial, eyewitnesses of the attempted “honor killing” incident explained that the victim’s father repeatedly told her, “It’s not right… you are not supposed to this,” while he placed her in a chokehold.
A graphic video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows students and other bystanders trying to help the victim as her father continued to choke her.
The 17-year-old’s boyfriend, who was allegedly punched by Zahraa Ali while attempting to intervene in the incident, told law enforcement officials he thought his girlfriend was “going to die while her father was choking her out on the ground.”
According to KOMO News, the victim and her boyfriend were ultimately able to escape from the incident, ran inside the school, and reported that the victim’s father had attempted to kill her.
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