KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The dismembered remains of Kobra Rezaei, a young Afghan migrant woman who had been missing for nearly 50 days, were discovered in the home of a 32-year-old Iranian man, Iranian media reported.
According to a report by Ensaf News on Wednesday, police searched the suspect’s residence after Rezaei’s family raised concerns. Acting on a court warrant, officers entered the home and uncovered the remaining parts of her body, which had reportedly been partially destroyed using acid in an attempt to erase evidence.
Earlier, other parts of Rezaei’s mutilated body had been found in a pile of garbage in Pishva, southeast of Tehran. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to her.
The suspect, identified only as A. Kh., was reportedly a colleague of Rezaei’s and worked as a security guard at a home appliance factory in Pakdasht, near Tehran. Investigators found that the last signal from Rezaei’s mobile phone before her disappearance had been traced near the suspect’s residence.
Initially, he denied involvement in the murder, but later confessed during police interrogation after being presented with evidence. He claimed he committed the crime after discovering Rezaei was engaged, saying he suffered a “severe emotional breakdown.”
The charges against him include premeditated murder, mutilation of a corpse, and attempting to destroy evidence using acid.
Following the recovery of her remains, Rezaei was buried on Monday, June 9, under tight police supervision. Ensaf News reported that police barred attendees from filming or speaking with the media during the funeral.
Citing attendees, the outlet added that Rezaei’s family was instructed not to speak to journalists or pursue retribution (qisas) for the accused. Her sister reportedly attended the burial with her face fully covered—a sign, many observers noted, of the tense and fearful atmosphere surrounding the family.
The brutal killing has been met with silence from Iranian authorities and state media. Official outlets have only reported the arrest of “the killer of a young girl” in Pishva, without naming the victim or acknowledging that she was an Afghan migrant.
Ensaf News noted that many Iranian social media users have pointed to the stark contrast between this muted coverage and the intense media scrutiny typically seen when a suspect is an Afghan migrant.
The murder comes amid rising anti-refugee sentiment in Iran over the past year. Afghan migrants and refugees have faced repeated harassment, abuse, and violent attacks in public spaces.
This year, the Iranian government has also escalated pressure on Afghan refugees, expelling and revoking the legal residency permits of nearly two million people.
