Iraqi parents acquitted of attempted ‘honor killing’ of teen daughter in WA State, convicted on lesser charges

Ihsan and Zahraa Ali, the parents at the center of the case, after three days of jury deliberation, were both found not guilty of attempted murder. However, the jury did convict Ihsan Ali, the father, of second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment. Zahraa Ali, the mother, was found guilty only of violating a court order, a lesser charge. She was acquitted on all counts of assault and unlawful imprisonment.

Sentencing for both parents is scheduled for mid-August. Ihsan Ali remains in custody pending sentencing, while Zahraa Ali was released from jail on her own recognizance. As part of her release conditions, she must stay in Thurston County and continue to comply with existing no-contact orders.

The violent altercation occurred on the morning of October 18, 2024. According to court testimony, the couple confronted their daughter near a bus stop outside Timberline High School after the teen had fled home earlier that day. She reportedly left with only $100 in cash, seeking refuge with a school counselor and a local youth shelter after allegedly refusing to travel to Iraq for an arranged marriage to an older man.

Multiple witnesses testified that Ihsan Ali placed his daughter in a chokehold, yelling, “It’s not right… you are not supposed to do this,” as he allegedly strangled her until she lost consciousness.

Video evidence shown in court captured the scene as students and passersby attempted to stop the attack. One student described the teen appearing “lifeless” and “pure white” as she went limp in her father’s arms.

The teen’s boyfriend tried to intervene, only to be allegedly punched in the face by Zahraa Ali. Witnesses also said Zahraa physically attacked her daughter during the struggle. At the time of the incident, Zahraa was under a court order prohibiting contact with her daughter’s boyfriend and had previously been barred from school grounds.

The daughter, now 18, took the stand and tearfully recounted her fear and heartbreak. “No matter what I say, it doesn’t really change,” she told the jury. Describing the moment her father allegedly choked her, she broke down, expressing her fear that she would be forced to leave the country and never return. However, Judge Christine Schaller did not allow the prosecution to enter into evidence that the underage girl’s Muslim parents allegedly told her she was going to be married off to an older Muslim man in their home country before the choking attack, claiming that the backstory would be too prejudicial to the two defendants.

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School bus driver John Denicola was among those who helped stop the attack. He testified that he physically pulled Ihsan Ali’s arms off his daughter. “She was in distress, her eyes were rolling into the back of her head,” Denicola recalled. “The look on his face and the way he was squeezing, he was choking her.”

Another eyewitness, Mary Wagner, called 911 and described the teen as “absolutely terrified” with “hair in her face” and looking “completely disheveled.” The girl and her boyfriend ran into the school building following the incident, with the teen screaming that her father had just tried to kill her.

According to KOMO News, prosecutors initially suggested the case might involve the threat of an “honor killing,” but later clarified in court filings that “there is no express evidence that such was the motivation of either defendant in this case.”

Zahraa Ali still faces separate charges related to burglary and violation of the restraining order.

If convicted on the charges, Ihsan Ali faces up to 14 months for the assault and 12 months for unlawful imprisonment. Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will pursue additional charges in connection with Zahraa Ali’s other pending legal issues.