IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ISSUES PARDON FOR LARGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS LINKED TO PROTESTS

Sun 05 February 2023:

Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pardoned “tens of thousands” of prisoners, including many arrested in recent anti-government protests over security-related charges, state media reported on Sunday, Reuters reports.

“Prisoners not facing charges of spying for foreign agencies, having direct contact with foreign agents, committing intentional murder and injury, committing destruction and arson of state property, or not having a private plaintiff in their case will be pardoned,” state media said.

The pardons were announced in honour of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution.

According to the HRANA activist news agency, about 20,000 people have been arrested over anti-government protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, in September.

Rights groups say over 500 have been killed in the crackdown, including 70 minors. At least four people have been hanged, according to the Iranian judiciary.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said this week that at least 100 detained protesters faced possible death sentences.

Amnesty International has criticised Iranian authorities for what it called “sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran”.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent