Iran prisoner release urged by Donald Trump ahead of possible Islamabad talks

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iran to free eight women before possible talks in Islamabad. Trump reposted a picture showing six women and two teenage girls. A conservative activist said Iranian authorities are prosecuting them. Trump 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!!!\"

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Human rights groups said five people shown in the reposted photo were detained during broad anti-government protests earlier this year. Some arrests were reported across several cities. The cases include allegations that carry the death penalty. Two of the eight were teenage girls. Some details about identities and locations remained unclear.

Iran women arrests and protest-linked cases

Bita Hemmati was sentenced to death in Tehran after joining the protests, according to the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran. The report said Bita Hemmati belonged to Iran’s minority Bahai faith. Bita Hemmati was accused of joining a network described as satanic and under Israel’s influence.

Mahboubeh Shabani was detained in Mashhad during the protest period, rights monitor Hengaw said. Hengaw reported Mahboubeh Shabani faced the charge of enmity of God. The monitor said the allegation carries the death sentence. The detention was linked by monitors to the earlier nationwide unrest.

Diana Taher Abadi and Ghazal Ghalandari are both 16, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The agency said Diana Taher Abadi was arrested in Karaj, west of Tehran. It said Ghazal Ghalandari was held in Yasuj in southwestern Iran. The two teenagers were detained separately during protests.

Iran women arrests and Bahai-related allegations

Venus Hossein Nejad, also from the Bahai faith, was arrested in January at a workplace in southeast Iran, Iran Human Rights said. The Oslo-based group said Venus Hossein Nejad was forced to confess on state TV. Iran Human Rights said Venus Hossein Nejad was accused of organising protests and ties to a satanic network under Israel’s influence.

Golnar Naraqi, a 37-year-old emergency physician, was arrested in Tehran during the protests, according to a state-affiliated newspaper. Iranian social media identified two more women as Ensieh Nejati and Panah Movahhedi Salamat. There were no immediate confirmed reports about their whereabouts. The eight cases drew attention after Trump’s repost.

With inputs from PTI