The killing of an Iranian girl, 14, by her father has prompted a nationwide outcry.
Reza Ashrafi, now in custody, was apparently enraged when he killed his daughter Romina in her sleep on Thursday after she ran away with Bahamn Khavari, 34.
The incident occurred in Talesh county, about 320 kilometres north-west of the capital, Tehran.
In Iran, blame would often fall on a runaway girl for what is considered to be an offence against her family’s honour, rather than on an adult male luring a child away.
Romina was found five days after leaving home and taken to a police station, from which her father took her home.
The girl reportedly told the police she feared a violent reaction from him.
On Wednesday, national newspapers featured the story, and the social media hashtag #RominaAshrafi has been used thousands of times on social media, with most users condemning the killing.
Her father reportedly used a sickle to behead her as she slept.
Proposed legislation against "honour killings" has been shuffled for years among various decision-making bodies in Iran.
On Wednesday, Romina’s case led Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to urge his Cabinet to speed up harsher laws against such killings, and hasten the adoption of relevant legislation.
There is little data on such murders in Iran, where local media occasionally report on them.
Under the law, girls can marry after the age of 13, although the average age of marriage for Iranian women is 23.
It is not known how many women and young girls have been killed by family members because of their actions.
Iran’s judiciary said Romina’s case would be tried in a special court. Under current law, her father faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Iran’s vice president in charge of family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar, said she hoped a bill with harsher punishments would soon be in the final stages of approval.
Shahnaz Sajjadi, an aide to the president on human rights affairs, on Wednesday told the khabaronline news website: "We should revise the idea that home is a safe place for children and women.
"Crimes that happen against women in society are less than those that happen in the homes.”
