‘Iran’s black widow’ faces multiple death sentences after gruesomely killing at least 10 of her ex husbands

Nypost · 🇮🇷 public Iran · Aug 15, 2026 · 487 words · By Geoff Earle

Human Rights in Iran True Crime Sensationalism criminal justice

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What to know about Human Rights in Iran

‘Iran’s black widow’ faces multiple death sentences after gruesomely killing at least 10 of her ex husbands See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

‘Iran’s black widow’ faces multiple death sentences after gruesomely killing at least 10 of her ex husbands See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google Her final date will be with the executioner.

Common ground

A serial spouse-slayer nicknamed Iran’s “Black Widow” has been sentenced to death after a lethal marriage spree that left at least 10 husbands in the graveyard over two decades.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Most were killed using rubbing alcohol, sedatives and other meds?
How does this story connect Human Rights in Iran with True Crime Sensationalism over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/irans-black-widow-kolthoum-akbari-faces-de…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 10

schedule Pending 2

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Claim 1: “Most were killed using rubbing alcohol, sedatives and other meds.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the use of drugs and alcohol, specifically mentioning rubbing alcohol, sedatives, and other medications.

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web search NEUTRAL — She killed her victims with drugs and alcohol.Authorities state that the primary motive behind the murders was financial gain, noting that Akbari took gold, cash, and other assets given as dowry from …
https://en.haberler.com/she-herself-doesn-t-even-remember-th…

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web search NEUTRAL — Florida parents arrested after 7-week-old daughter died from ‘violent shaking’ Most were killed using rubbing alcohol, sedatives and other meds. Authorities speculate the motive is greed, and that Akb…
https://www.newsbreak.com/wral-news-556047/3044599624445-ove…

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web search NEUTRAL — The 56-year-old killer confessed to killing 12 elderly men after temporarily marrying them; Iranian law allows the victims' families to replace death sentences with the payment of blood money (diya).
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/iran-eastern-stat…

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Claim 2: “A serial spouse-slayer nicknamed Iran’s “Black Widow” has been sentenced to death after a lethal marriage spree that left at least 10 husbands in the graveyard over two decades.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (i24NEWS, Pulptastic, and other web results) confirm that Kolthoum Akbari, known as the 'Black Widow', was sentenced to death for killing at least 10 husbands over two decades.

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web search NEUTRAL — Kolthoum Akbari has been sentenced to death after confessing to murdering at least 10 of her former husbands across two decades in northern Iran.
https://pulptastic.com/irans-black-widow-faces-multiple-deat…

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web search NEUTRAL — A 56-year-old woman in Iran, known as the “Black Widow,” has been sentenced to death multiple times for poisoning and killing at least ten husbands.
https://tech-oracle.com/irans-black-widow-sentenced-to-death…

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Claim 3: “Ten families opted for qisas, Iran’s eye-for-an-eye punishment, while at least one family agreed to accept blood money — diya — rather than a sentence, as proscribed in Islamic Sharia law.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that ten families sought qisas (retribution) and at least one family accepted diya (blood money).

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web search NEUTRAL — Qisas or Qiṣāṣ (Arabic: قِصَاص, romanized: Qiṣāṣ, lit. 'accountability, following up after, pursuing or prosecuting'. ) is an Islamic term interpreted to mean "retaliation in kind",[1][2] "eye for an …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qisas

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web search NEUTRAL — Held responsible for at least 10 murders, with the actual number of victims possibly exceeding 12, Akbari was sentenced to 10 separate death penalties following the families of the victims' demand for…
https://en.haberler.com/she-herself-doesn-t-even-remember-th…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ten families opted for qisas, Iran’s eye-for-an-eye punishment that mandates execution for murder, while at least one family agreed to accept blood money — diya — rather than a death sentence, as pros…
https://pulptastic.com/irans-black-widow-faces-multiple-deat…

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Claim 4: “The site said she confessed to killing her second husband, a man named Alijan, reportedly telling his family members she had endured beatings in the past, and confessed to pouring industrial alcohol into his mouth and suffocating him.”

CORROBORATED

Although listed as 'no evidence found' in the prompt's summary, the provided evidence for claim 7 actually contains the confirmation: 'According to a report by the Iran-based Faraz Daily... committed her first murder by killing her second husband, Alijan... pouring industrial alcohol into his mouth and suffocating him.'

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Claim 5: “The court handed down 10 death sentences and years for the attempted murder.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm she received 10 death sentences.

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Claim 6: ““I don’t know how many I killed. Maybe it was 13 or 15 people. I don’t remember exactly. I’d drug them and then use a towel,” she said in a confession a year ago, the Telegraph reported.”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm she confessed to a higher number of victims (up to 12 or more) and used a combination of drugs and suffocation.

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web search NEUTRAL — Kolthoum Akbari, dubbed Iran's "Black Widow," has been sentenced to death for killing multiple elderly husbands through temporary marriages for financial gain. Authorities linked her to at least 10 de…
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/iran-black-widow-koltho…

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web search NEUTRAL — Akbari allegedly targeted elderly men, administering a deadly mix of blood pressure medication, sedatives, diabetes drugs, and industrial alcohol to slowly kill them. When poisoning was unsuccessful, …
https://www.nairaland.com/8498280/56-year-old-woman-confesse…

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web search NEUTRAL — “But said he had not intended to kill him. West – who didn’t own the rabbit – was given a four-and-a-half-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to one offence contrary to …
https://needtoknow.co.uk/2024/08/05/cruel-man-caught-on-came…

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Claim 7: “Kolthoum Akbari, 56, confessed to much of the horrific body count, the Mazandaran Province public relations office told Iranian state media last Sunday.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm her age as 56 and that the confession was reported by the Mazandaran Province Judiciary/public relations office.

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web search NEUTRAL — Mazandaran province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari.Mazandaran is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. It is bordered clockwise by Golestan, Semnan, an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazandaran_province

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web search NEUTRAL — Kolthoum Akbari, 56, confessed to much of a horrific body count, according to the Mazandaran Province Judiciary’s public relations office.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/irans-black-widow-kolt…

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web search NEUTRAL — The 56-year-old was first arrested in September 2023 after she was suspected of murdering her 82-year-old "temporary" husband.It was during the course of the investigation that Akbari confessed to kil…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iranian-black-widow-accu…

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Claim 8: “Her devious run finally ended in 2023 following the death of 82-year-old husband Gholamreza Babaei, according to authorities.”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm the spree came to light in September 2023 following the death of her 82-year-old husband, Gholamreza Babaei.

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web search NEUTRAL — The multiple murders that Kolthoum Akbari is said to be responsible for came to light in September 2023 after her 82-year-old husband, Gholamreza Babaei, died under suspicious circumstances.
https://www.ladbible.com/news/crime/iran-black-widow-kolthou…

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web search NEUTRAL — Kolthoum Akbari has received 10 death sentences on Iran’s eye-for-an-eye use of Sharia law. Iran carries out public hangings both for people convicted of violent crimes and those the regime convicts o…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/irans-black-widow-kolt…

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web search NEUTRAL — Kolthoum Akbari, a 56-year-old Iranian woman dubbed Iran’s “Black Widow,” is facing multiple death sentences after being convicted in a case involving the deaths of elderly men she married over roughl…
https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/who-is-kolthoum-akbari-…

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Claim 9: “Born in the village of Malekabad, Akbari divorced her first husband, according to Iranian site Faraz Daily.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources cite Faraz Daily reporting that she was born in Malekabad and divorced her first husband.

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web search NEUTRAL — Born in the village of Malekabad, Akbari divorced her first husband, according to Iranian site Faraz Daily.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/irans-black-widow-kolt…

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web search NEUTRAL — According to a report by the Iran-based Faraz Daily, it was determined that the woman, who was born in Malekabad village and divorced her first husband, committed her first murder by killing her secon…
https://en.haberler.com/she-herself-doesn-t-even-remember-th…

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Claim 10: “Another Iranian serial killer, Mahin Qadiri, was executed in 2006 after being convicted of killing five women.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “including killing 56 people on dubious national security charges since March.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “Her cruel method was to obtain “temporary” marriages, known as sigheh – contractural relationships in Iran that include a dowry and a set period of marriage – with the elderly men before drugging them.”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm she used 'sigheh' (temporary marriages) to target elderly men before drugging them.

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web search NEUTRAL — In Iran, sigheh, or mut’ah (temporary marriage), is a legally recognized form of marriage that unites a man and woman for a predetermined period. The union requires a specified mahr (dowry) and verbal…
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-905202

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web search NEUTRAL — The case centres on allegations that Akbari entered into temporary marriages, known in Iran as sigheh, with elderly men before allegedly drugging and killing them.
https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/who-is-kolthoum-akbari-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Temporary marriage, which is generally arranged in private, offers practical benefits to young couples looking to stay on the right side of the morality police while allowing the country’s theocracy t…
https://www.vice.com/en/article/irans-government-is-worried-…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.