What do we know about the viral claims of Iranian protesters facing execution?

Last week, US President Donald Trump shared an representation of 8 Iranian women helium claimed had been sentenced to execution, asking Iranian leaders to merchandise them.

The adjacent day, helium followed up connected his Truth Social platform, alleging that the women had been pardoned, with 4 released instantly and 4 sentenced to situation for 1 month.

Iran's judiciary-linked Mizan News Agency responded to Trump's archetypal post, calling it fabricated. None of the women pictured successful the representation received a decease sentence, according to the agency.

It claimed that respective of the women had been released, whilst the others faced charges that, if proven, would transportation situation sentences alternatively than the decease penalty.

At the aforesaid time, Iran-linked accounts dispersed the viral rumour online that the station was AI-generated, casting uncertainty connected its authenticity.

But is determination immoderate information to these claims? We spoke to 2 autarkic quality rights organisations, whose grounds casts uncertainty connected the allegations made by some sides.

One pistillate sentenced to death

According to Oslo-based autarkic non-profit Iran Human Rights and US-based NGO Human Rights Activists successful Iran (HRA), lone 1 of the women pictured has received a decease sentence.

Bita Hemmati was arrested successful aboriginal January alongside her husband, member and 2 others, according to Iran Human Rights. They were each sentenced to decease by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Hemmati was accused of injuring a subordinate of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) alongside "operational enactment for the hostile authorities of the United States and violent groups (anti-revolutionary and monarchist)" done protestation action, including "using explosives, incendiary materials and injuring hundreds of guiltless citizens and information defenders."

According to HRA, the prosecution relied connected forced broadcast confessions successful sentencing Hemmati.

Independent quality website IranWire, headquartered successful the UK, noted that Hemmati's condemnation is not last and could truthful beryllium appealed.

There is constricted existent autarkic accusation connected the result of Hemmati's condemnation oregon the presumption of her case.

Misleading claims connected some sides

Aside from Hemmati, accusation connected the remaining 7 women is limited, with respective arrested and released connected bail.

Iran Human Rights said Mahboubeh Shabani was detained connected 2 February and is presently held successful Vakilabad Prison successful Mashhad. According to the group, she is facing decease punishment charges.

HRA told The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, that they had not received confirmed accusation connected the severity of the charges levelled against her.

HRA said determination are nary credible reports that Ghazal Ghalandari has been sentenced to death, oregon adjacent that she remains successful detention. Iran Human Rights likewise said it had nary caller reports since her January arrest.

Both groups reported determination were fewer credible reports that Golnaz Naraghi and Venus Hosseinnejad were successful continued detention oregon had received a decease sentence.

As for Ensieh Nejati, HRA said their sources bespeak she remains successful detention, but without a confirmed decease sentence. According to Iran Human Rights, Diana Taher Abadi was arrested and threatened with a decease sentence, but determination is nary grounds that it was yet issued.

For 1 woman, Panah Movahedi, groups said determination is constricted credible accusation connected her whereabouts since she disappeared pursuing the 9 January protests.

Information vacuum

Verifying idiosyncratic cases successful Iran is challenging, particularly successful protest-related cases, arsenic entree to accusation is constricted and hard to independently confirm.

The warfare betwixt Iran and the US and Israel and a near-total net blackout successful Iran person lone heightened the situation of gaining verifiable accusation connected individuals who person disappeared pursuing protests and arrests.

A associated study by Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty recovered that, successful 2025, executions successful Iran were astatine their highest level successful decades, with astatine slightest 1,639 radical executed successful 2025 alone, the highest fig recorded since 1989.

Iran's continued usage of the decease punishment successful cases linked to protests has been repeatedly condemned, besides by the European Union, which has deemed its usage a usurpation of cardinal quality rights.

In April 2025, the European Parliament passed a solution to condemn what it called Iran's "execution spree", pursuing the decease sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. Their executions were carried retired connected 27 July 2025.