An Afghan man in Berlin, Germany, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly killing his wife with a kitchen knife in front of their children. On Wednesday, 4 Sunbula, the German Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe upheld the ruling previously issued by the Berlin Regional Court in the case.
The man was accused of stabbing his 37-year-old wife to death in the presence of their children on April 17, 2025. The Berlin Regional Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in January this year, and the sentence remains in effect following its confirmation by the Federal Court of Justice.
When announcing the verdict, the Berlin judge said the defendant had treated his wife as a “replaceable object.” According to the judge, the man’s conduct indicated that he believed he had the right to “punish” his wife for her behavior and even considered himself entitled to “take her life.”
Deutsche Welle reported that the couple married in Afghanistan in 2003 and moved to Germany in 2015. Their marriage, however, was marked by tension and conflict over the following years, with their relationship gradually deteriorating.
According to evidence presented in court, the man had unfounded suspicions about his wife, while his behavior toward her involved control, restrictions, and threats. The court said this pattern of behavior continued throughout their marriage and ultimately contributed to escalating tensions between the couple.
In 2024, the man separated from his wife in accordance with Islamic tradition and subsequently married another woman under the same religious practice. However, under German law, his separation from his first wife had not yet been formally finalized, meaning the two were still legally considered married.
Thus, although the couple had separated religiously, their divorce had not been legally registered in Germany. The man had also not obtained an official divorce certificate from German authorities, and their first marriage remained legally valid.
According to Deutsche Welle, while the man had taken another wife, he believed that his former wife had also entered into a new relationship. He was unhappy about this and wanted the mother of his four children to return to their marital relationship, but the woman rejected his demand.
The Berlin court said the woman was unwilling to comply with the man’s demands or return to their shared life. The prosecutor in the case also stated that the woman’s refusal to accept his demands, including her rejection of a polygamous relationship, was among the factors that ultimately contributed to the man’s decision to kill her.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
