Her name was Marzieh Nieri. She was 23 years old.Marzieh said she fought back when a man attempted to sexually assault her. The man died from his
Her name was Marzieh Nieri. She was 23 years old.
Marzieh said she fought back when a man attempted to sexually assault her. The man died from his injuries. Iranian authorities rejected her claim of self-defense. She spent years in prison.
On August 8, 2026, she was executed.
I want to begin with her name because women deserve to be remembered as more than cases, convictions, headlines, and statistics.
And her story leaves me with a question:
When is a woman’s “no” not considered a form of hate?
A woman says no to a relationship. She is called hateful.
She says no to someone crossing her boundaries. Hateful.
She protects her privacy, rights, opportunities, health, safety, or well-being, and somehow she becomes the problem.
Meanwhile, women around the world are assaulted and killed after rejecting advances, leaving relationships, resisting control, and defending themselves against unwanted access. That’s the hate.
There are words for some of what happens next.
Boundary reversal: When the person setting or defending a boundary is treated as the aggressor, while the person challenging that boundary is presented as the injured party.
Victim-offender reversal: When attention shifts away from the harmful or threatening behavior and onto the person resisting it, making her resistance look like the wrongdoing.
Watch carefully when:
“She said no.”
quietly becomes:
“She hates me.”
Those are not the same thing.
A woman does not have to “hate you” to deny you access to her body, her space, her attention, her opportunities, or her life.
Sometimes no simply means no. Some of your parents, teachers, and grandparents loved you and that should have meant that they told you “no” sometimes.
And before you leave this page, remember the young woman we began with.
Marzieh Nieri.
Twenty-three years old.
She said she was defending herself from sexual assault. The world had years to show her mercy. Instead, she was executed. On August 8, 2026.
Tell women’s stories. Say their names. Remember what they told us happened to them.
May Marzieh Nieri be remembered with the dignity, humanity, and compassion she was denied.
When is a woman’s “no” not considered a form of hate?
Little hint: Never. Some people will always create new words to call women hateful for saying “no.” Keep your boundaries strong.
Calling Women “Hateful” for Wanting Safety Is Abuse Dressed in Decorum – WE Survive Abuse
Love Doesn’t Mean Lying: I Can Respect You and Still Speak the Truth – WE Survive Abuse
Nellie Jackson: After All Her Yeses, They Still Could Not Honor Her No – WE Survive Abuse
The Gift of Access to YOU (audio/podcast) – WE Survive Abuse
What Does It Really Mean To Be Socialized As a Woman? – WE Survive Abuse