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 roughly two decades.
Akbari has been convicted in 11 murder cases, according to Iranian and international reports, while 10 families sought qisas, or retributive punishment. This resulted in 10 separate qisas death sentences. The family of another victim reportedly chose diya, or blood money, instead of seeking qisas. Akbari also received a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
The case came to light in 2023 after the death of her 82-year-old husband, Gholamreza Babaei. His relatives reportedly became suspicious after he complained that Akbari was making him take medication. The investigation later expanded to other suspicious deaths involving her former husbands.
The exact number of men Akbari may have killed remains unclear. Recent reports say she admitted to killing at least 10 former husbands, while authorities have investigated a larger number of suspected deaths. In one reported confession, she said: “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,” according to international media reports.
Who Is Kolthoum Akbari?
Akbari is from Malekabad in Iran’s northern Mazandaran Province. She became the focus of a major criminal investigation after the 2023 death of Babaei, an elderly man she had married.
Iranian reports say Babaei’s relatives raised concerns about his death after he reportedly complained that Akbari was forcing him to take medication. Police subsequently investigated Akbari and examined her previous relationships.
The investigation eventually connected her to a series of suspicious deaths involving elderly men. Iranian media and international reports have described her as a serial killer who allegedly used temporary marriages to gain access to her victims.
What Is the Kolthoum Akbari Case?
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.
Reports say she targeted older men, some of whom were financially secure, and used the marriages to gain access to them and their assets. Prosecutors and investigators have reportedly suspected that financial gain was a major motive.
The alleged killings took place over a period of around 20 to 22 years. Iran International reported in 2025 that the murder cases involved 11 former husbands and that the alleged killings were carried out through poisoning.
The case attracted renewed international attention in August 2026 after reports highlighted the 10 qisas sentences issued against Akbari. Iranian judicial reporting confirmed that the court had issued 10 separate qisas sentences for murder.
Why Did Akbari Allegedly Kill Her Husbands?
Financial gain is the main motive reported by investigators and prosecutors. According to reports, Akbari allegedly sought men who were elderly, living alone and had money or other valuable assets. The temporary marriages involved dowries, and authorities believe she targeted the men for cash, gold and other property.
However, the motive should be described as an allegation or investigators’ theory, rather than an independently established fact in every suspected case. Reports also indicate that Akbari’s victims were spread across several towns in Mazandaran Province. Investigators believe this helped prevent the deaths from being immediately connected to one another.
How Did Akbari Allegedly Kill Her Husbands?
Investigators and media reports say Akbari allegedly used a combination of medicines, sedatives and alcohol to incapacitate her victims. Some reports mention diabetes medication and other drugs, while international coverage has also reported the use of industrial alcohol. In her reported confession, Akbari described drugging victims before suffocating them with a towel.
Authorities believe the alleged use of medication may have made some deaths appear to be caused by natural illness, particularly because many of the victims were elderly. Because the men lived in different locations and their deaths occurred over many years, investigators did not immediately identify a common link between them.
How Was Iran’s ‘Black Widow’ Caught?
The case came to wider attention after the death of 82-year-old Gholamreza Babaei in 2023. According to Iranian reports, Babaei’s family had concerns about the circumstances surrounding his death. He had reportedly complained about being made to take medication before he died.
Those concerns led police to investigate Akbari. Investigators then began looking into her previous marriages and other suspicious deaths connected to her. A previous survivor also reportedly helped investigators establish a connection. Iranian reports say one man survived after allegedly being drugged by Akbari, and information about that incident later helped investigators identify a pattern.
How Many Husbands Did Kolthoum Akbari Kill?
The precise number remains disputed. Court proceedings involved 11 murder cases, and Iran International reported in 2025 that Akbari was convicted of murdering 11 former husbands. However, more recent international reports have generally described her as having admitted to killing at least 10 husbands, with authorities suspecting that the actual number could be higher.
Akbari herself reportedly gave different figures during questioning. In one confession, she said she could not remember exactly how many people she had killed and suggested the number could have been 13 or 15.
Therefore, the safest description is that she has been convicted in 11 murder cases, while the broader number of alleged victims remains uncertain.
What Punishment Has Kolthoum Akbari Received?
A Mazandaran court issued 10 separate qisas sentences against Akbari for murder. Iranian judicial officials have confirmed that these sentences were issued independently for the victims whose families sought retribution.
Ten families reportedly demanded qisas, while the family of another victim agreed to accept diya, or blood money, instead of seeking retribution. Akbari also received a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
This distinction is important because qisas operates differently from a conventional state-imposed death sentence. Under Iran’s legal system, the victim’s family has a significant role in deciding whether to seek retribution or accept compensation.
What Are Qisas and Diya?
Qisas is a form of retributive punishment under Iran’s Islamic legal system. In murder cases, the victim’s family can seek retribution, which can result in a death sentence.
Diya, commonly translated as blood money, refers to financial compensation. A victim’s family may agree to receive compensation instead of pursuing qisas.
In Akbari’s case, 10 families reportedly sought qisas, while at least one family chose diya. This means that the existence of 10 qisas sentences should not automatically be interpreted as 10 confirmed executions.
Is Kolthoum Akbari Going to Be Executed?
Akbari faces 10 qisas death sentences, but reports about the exact status of the sentences have varied. Recent Iranian judicial reporting confirms that the court issued 10 qisas sentences and a 10-year prison term for attempted murder. Iranian reports have described the case as being in the final stages of the judicial process. Therefore, it is safer to say that Akbari faces 10 qisas death sentences rather than claim that her execution has already been scheduled.
What Happens Next in the Kolthoum Akbari Case?
The immediate focus remains on the implementation and legal status of the 10 qisas sentences. The families of the victims have an important role under the qisas system, including the possibility of seeking retribution or agreeing to compensation. Any final punishment must also follow Iran’s judicial procedures.
For now, the most accurate description is that Kolthoum Akbari has been convicted in 11 murder cases and faces 10 qisas death sentences, along with a 10-year sentence for attempted murder. The broader number of men she may have killed remains uncertain because she has reportedly given varying accounts and authorities have investigated additional suspected deaths.
The case has drawn widespread attention because of the alleged two-decade killing spree, the use of temporary marriages to approach elderly men and the financial motive investigators have attributed to the crimes.
