Tehran, Iran

Somayeh Mehri (29) and Rana Afghanipour (3) go for medical treatment for injuries caused by an acid attack. Somayeh now prefers to keep her face entirely covered in public.

Somayeh and Rana were attacked with acid by Somayeh’s husband Amir. Somayeh had frequently been beaten and locked up by her husband, and finally found the courage to ask for a divorce. Amir warned her that if she persisted in her attempts to leave him, she would not live out life with the face she had. One night in June 2011, he poured acid on Somayeh and Rana as they slept. Somayeh’s and Rana’s faces, hands, and, in places, their bodies were severely burned. Somayeh was blinded, and Rana lost one of her eyes. Somayeh’s father sold his land in order to raise money to pay their medical expenses, and fellow villagers have also helped. Each week Somayeh and Rana travel some 1,300 km from their home town to the Iranian capital for treatment.