Leader of Iran pardons “tens of thousands” of prisoners from the country, including those arrested in protests

The supreme leader of Iran, Aiatollah Ali Khamenei, released “tens of thousands” of prisoners, including people arrested in recent anti-government protests for accusations related to security, informed state media this Sunday (5).

“The prisoners who are not accused of espionage for foreign agencies, of direct contact with foreign agents, of intentional homicide and injury, of destruction and criminal arson of State property or of not having a private perpetrator in any case will be forgiven,” told the state media.

Your pardons are announced in homage to the anniversary of the Islamic revolution of 1979.

According to the ativist news agency HRANA, about 20 thousand people were imprisoned because of anti-government protests triggered by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish, in September 2022.

(Reportage from the Dubai newsroom with editing by Toby Chopra)