Project Sogand

Sogand Pakdel - In loving memory

Sogand Pakdel (1998-2025)
"Forever in our hearts, her courage lights our path"

A living memorial to Sogand Pakdel and all of our queer & trans Iranian siblings.

Interactive Map of Reported Cases

View shows most of Iran for context; use +/− to explore regions, or open full screen to scroll and search.

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About Project Sogand

This project was created to honor the memory of Sogand Pakdel, a 27-year-old trans woman who was murdered by her uncle in Kavar, Fars province, in June 2025; her death represents the ongoing violence faced by transgender and queer individuals in Iran.

Each point on this map represents a documented case of a transfemicide or a murder of our trans and queer siblings; we document these cases to honor their memory and shed light on systematic violence.

This is an ongoing project; we continuously research and verify cases to ensure accuracy while respecting the privacy and dignity of victims and their families.

Founder

Project Sogand was founded by Rebecca (“Becca”) Sanaeikia, a social philosopher working at the intersection of bioethics, data practices, and trans studies.

The project invites collaboration from researchers, community advocates, and technologists committed to ethical documentation and safety-centered data practices.

Contribute Information

Help us document cases and share resources; all submissions are reviewed before publication.

Privacy & Safety: Your email is never displayed publicly; we verify all information before publication and follow ethical guidelines to respect victim privacy.

Support Resources

  • 6Rang Iranian LGBTQI Organization: Supporting LGBTQI+ rights in Iran and documenting violations — Visit website →
  • Hengaw Organization: Human rights organization documenting violations in Iranian Kurdistan — Visit website →
  • Amnesty International: Reports on LGBTQI+ rights and human rights violations in Iran — Visit website →
  • OutRight Action International: Global LGBTIQ human rights organization — Visit website →

Credits & Thanks

With gratitude to Data Against Feminicide for building an international community of practice and co-designing tools that support ethical documentation of gender-related killings.

  • Data Against Feminicide — project overview and community aims
  • D+F Lab @ MIT, ILDA, and Feminicidio Uruguay — leadership and collaboration
  • DUSP MIT page — background on goals and participatory approach

Data & Methodology

Our dataset is compiled through systematic research of news reports, human rights organizations, and verified community sources; each case requires verification from at least two independent sources before inclusion.

Data Sources Include:

  • Verified news reports from Persian and international media
  • Human rights organizations' documentation (Hengaw, 6Rang, Amnesty International)
  • Court records and official reports (when available)
  • Community-verified testimonies

Privacy Protection: We round geographical coordinates to protect surviving family members and respect victim privacy; names are only included when made public through official channels or with family consent.

Open Collaboration

Explore code, open issues, and contribute on GitHub: becksastic/Project-Sogand

Collaboration is welcome from researchers, developers, and community archivists committed to ethical, survivor-centered practices.