When former President Donald Trump publicly called for the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt the execution of eight women, two of them had already been set free, according to a human rights organization based in Norway.
The Iran Human Rights group, headquartered in Oslo, reported that Golnaz Naraghi, aged 37, and Venus Hosseininejad, aged 28, were released on bail in late March. Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the remaining six women remain uncertain.
Trump spotlighted the issue by sharing a post on X, originally from American pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby, which featured images of the eight women. The former president addressed Iranian leaders directly on Truth Social, stating, “I would greatly appreciate the release of these women,” ahead of upcoming negotiations with his representatives.
He added, “I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!”
Following Trump’s appeal, Iran’s judiciary responded, indicating that some of the women had already been released, though they did not specify names. The judiciary also denied any current execution orders. However, human rights organizations have indicated that at least two women still in custody are facing charges that could result in the death penalty.
In response to Trump’s post, Iran’s judiciary claimed that some of the women had already been released — without naming them — and none faced execution. Rights groups say at least two of the other women still in detention are facing charges that carry the death penalty.
Naraghi, an emergency room doctor and internal medicine specialist, and Hosseininejad, who practices the Baha’i faith, were arrested amid the January anti-regime protests that rocked Iran.
Hosseininejad was taken into custody Jan. 15 and forced to confess to crimes against the state on public TV, her family told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Naraghi had been taken captive one day earlier and forced to sign a confession at the Qarchak women’s prison, according to the Femena human rights group.
The other detainees spotlighted in the post include Bita Hemmati, who is accused of multiple crimes including using explosives and weapons, throwing objects such as concrete blocks, participating in protest gatherings, and disrupting national security, according to the opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Hemmati was arrested alongside her husband and two other men who lived in their apartment building, with all four sentenced to death for their alleged crimes against the regime.
Also featured in the post were Diana Taherabadi, 16, and Mahboubeh Shabani, 33, who were arrested earlier this year.
Taherabadi was charged with waging war against God, a capital offense in Iran, while Shabani was accused of assisting wounded protesters and was taken into custody in February.
Details on the other women featured in Yakoby’s post — Ghazal Ghalandari, Panah Movahedi, and Ensieh Nejat — could not be independently verified.
More than 50,000 people were taken into custody during the demonstrations, according to the US-based Human Rights News Agency (HRANA), which relies on a network of sources inside Iran.
The NCRI estimates that more than 300 people were executed in the first month of this year.
With Ronny Reyes and Post wires
