Washington State v. Ihsan and Zahraa Ali attempted honor killing trial
Ihsan Ali was sentenced to a 20-month prison term and 1 year 8 months of supervised release on August 20, 2025, in Washington State, for second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment in a case involving the attempted murder of his daughter, Fatima Ali. As of August 20, 2025: Ihsan Ali was immediately taken into custody, and 10-year no-contact orders with Fatima and Isaiah were issued. The jury had acquitted Ihsan Ali of attempted second-degree murder on August 1, 2025, but found him guilty of the lesser charges. During the sentencing hearing on August 18, 2025, Fatima Ali called her father a 'disgusting monster' in her victim impact statement. Zahraa Ali, also charged in the case, was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 83 days suspended for violating a no-contact order, but was not taken back into custody due to time served.
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2025
12 updatesIhsan Ali was sentenced to a 20-month prison term and 1 year 8 months of supervised release, along with 10-year no-contact orders with Fatima and Isaiah, and was immediately taken into custody. This corrects previous reports of a 14-month sentence.
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During the sentencing hearing, Fatima Ali delivered a victim impact statement, calling her father a 'disgusting monster' and stating he tried to kill her.
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Ihsan Ali was sentenced to 14 months in prison for second-degree assault and 12 months for unlawful imprisonment (to run concurrently), along with 18 months of community service and a 10-year no-contact order with his daughter. Zahraa Ali was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 83 days suspended for violating a no-contact order, but was not taken back into custody as she had already served 9 months.
The jury's verdict was announced: Ihsan Ali was acquitted of attempted second-degree murder but found guilty of second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and fourth-degree misdemeanor assault. Zahraa Ali was acquitted of attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and second-degree burglary, but found guilty of violating a protection order. Zahraa Ali was subsequently released from custody due to time served.
The trial for Ihsan and Zahraa Ali, accused of the attempted murder of their daughter Fatima Ali, concluded with a verdict on July 31, 2025. Testimony included forensic nurse examiner Senovia Rivas detailing Fatima's symptoms and otolaryngologist Dr. Sung-Won Kim discussing scan results. The prosecution argued the parents attempted to choke their daughter after she fled to avoid a trip to Iraq, while the defense noted the boyfriend punched the father first. The jury deliberated for over 14 hours before reaching their decision.
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After three days and over 19 hours of deliberation, the jury reached a mixed verdict for Ihsan and Zahraa Ali.
Closing arguments were presented by the prosecution and defense teams in the trial.
During the trial, a pediatrician testified about Fatima's injuries, including air trapped outside her trachea, and a mental health specialist testified about not being obligated to notify parents of runaway youth.
Ihsan Ali, 44, and Zahraa Ali, 40, are facing charges including second-degree attempted murder and attempted kidnapping in Thurston County, Washington, stemming from an alleged incident on October 18, 2024. Court documents suggest the incident may have been an attempted 'honor killing.' During the trial, forensic nurse examiner Senovia Rivas testified about the victim's injuries, and the defense called emergency physician Dr. Jennifer Stankus. The judge ruled that terms like 'honor killing' would be excluded to avoid cultural bias.
During the trial of Ihsan and Zahraa Ali, a forensic nurse examiner testified that the victim, Fatima, reported being grabbed by her sweatshirt and placed in a headlock by her father, Ihsan, causing her to lose consciousness. Fatima also stated that her mother, Zahraa, grabbed her neck during the incident. The prosecution presented this as evidence in the attempted honor killing case.
The trial for Ihsan and Zahraa Ali, accused of an attempted honor killing of their daughter, proceeded through multiple days of testimony and arguments. Proceedings included testimony from forensic nurses, family nurse practitioners, law enforcement officers, an eyewitness, and the victim herself. Closing arguments were presented, and jury instructions were given before the verdict watch.
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The jury trial for Ihsan and Zahraa Ali began in Thurston County Superior Court.
2024
4 updates
2024
4 updatesIhsan Ali was incarcerated following the incident.
Zahraa Ali was incarcerated following the incident.
Ihsan Ali assaulted his 17-year-old daughter, Fatima, at a bus stop near Timberline High School, placing her in a chokehold, while Zahraa Ali was also present and followed the teens. The incident was captured on surveillance video and by bystanders, leading to a school lockdown.
Zahraa Ali was issued a no-trespass letter for Timberline High School following a prior incident involving her daughter's boyfriend.
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