Donald Trump Claims Iran Halted Executions of Women Protesters

US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Iran has halted the execution of eight women following his intervention. This claim comes at a sensitive time as both nations appear to be on the verge of possible negotiations. Trump stated that after his appeal to Iranian leaders, he learned that the execution would no longer take place.

In his post, Trump expressed relief, stating, "Very good news! I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison." He further praised the Iranian leadership for respecting his request, labelling it a humanitarian gesture and a step towards rebuilding diplomatic trust.

Prior to this announcement, Trump had shared images of the detained women and called for their release, saying, "To the Iranian leaders I would greatly appreciate the release of these women. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!"

However, Iranian authorities have countered Trump’s assertions. In a statement from the state-run news outlet Mizan Online, officials claimed that Trump had been misinformed by biased news reports. The statement clarified, "The women who were claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment."

Human rights organisations have also disputed the narrative put forth by Trump. A report from a Norway-based monitoring group highlighted that at least two of the women—Golnaz Naraghi and Venus Hosseininejad—had already been released on bail weeks prior to Trump’s post. Many of those featured in images circulated online were reportedly detained during protests against the Iranian government.

Among the detainees is Bita Hemmati, facing multiple charges related to alleged violent protest participation, as well as 16-year-old Diana Taherabadi, who has been charged with "waging war against God," a serious capital offence under Iranian law. Mahboubeh Shabani has been accused of aiding injured demonstrators. Details regarding other individuals remain unverified.

This incident arises amidst ongoing turmoil in Iran that commenced in late December, during which tens of thousands have been arrested amid widespread protests against the regime. While official statistics reflect lower figures, independent estimates suggest that the actual number of arrests could exceed tens of thousands, with some reports indicating the toll may surpass 30,000.