Trump Says Iran Will Spare Eight Women After His Plea

On April 22, 2026 President Donald Trump said Iran would not execute eight women protesters and that four would be released immediately while four would serve one-month prison sentences.

The announcement followed Trump’s public plea for the women’s release and his extension of a two-week ceasefire as U.S. negotiators awaited Iran’s reply.

Iran’s judiciary denied the women faced execution and said Trump had been misled, according to the judiciary’s Mizan Online outlet.

Human rights groups identified Bita Hemmati among the eight and said she was sentenced to death in a collective case tied to protests on January 8 and January 9, 2026.

A scheduled meeting between U.S. and Iranian negotiators was placed on hold as Vice President J.D. Vance canceled his trip to Pakistan.