Iran’s supreme leader pardons ‘tens of thousands’ of prisoners

Iran’s supreme leader has pardoned tens of thousands of prisoners, it emerges on Sunday.

Khamenei approved the pardons in honour of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned “tens of thousands” of prisoners including some arrested in recent anti-government protests, however, the pardon came with conditions.

IRNA reported that those accused of “corruption on earth” — a capital charge brought against some protesters, four of whom have been executed — would also not be pardoned.

The pardon neither would apply to those charged with “spying for foreign agencies” or those “affiliated with groups hostile to the Islamic Republic”, state media reported.

Furthermore, it would not apply to those “facing charges of spying for foreign agencies, having direct contact with foreign agents, committing intentional murder and injury, [and] committing destruction and arson of state property”.

“Naturally, those who do not express regret for their activities and give a written commitment for not repeating those activities, will not be pardoned,” deputy judiciary chief Sadeq Rahimi said, state media reported.

 A deadly state crackdown in Iran helped quell the nationwide unrest and protests following the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of Iran’s morality police last September. 

About 20,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, which the authorities accused Iran’s foreign enemies of fomenting, claims the HRANA activist news agency.

Meanwhile, at least 500 people have been killed in the crackdown, including 70 minors, claim rights group.

At least four people have been hanged, according to the Iranian judiciary.