To expose the merciful character of the Islamic Republic, and on a day that is known as fathers’ day in Iran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approved a pardons request. The pardons will include a list of prisoners and those under custody for participating in recent unrests in Iran, among others.
The Iranian supreme leader has lightened the sentences of “tens of thousands” of convicts, including some who were detained during recent anti-government demonstrations, or endowed them with full pardons.
According to information released by official media, the pardons that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorized on Sunday included restrictions. Any of the several dual nationals detained in Tehran would not be affected by the action.
Additionally, anybody charged with “corruption on earth,” a crime punishable by death, will be excluded from the pardons list, according to local media. Both individuals accused of “spying for foreign agencies” and those “associated with parties hostile to the Islamic Republic” would not be covered by it.
Iran saw a wave of unrest after Mahsa Amini, an Iranian lady, died while under the morality police’s care five months ago. The young girl was detained for breaking Islamic clothing regulations.
The protests featured participation from Iranians of certain groups and were one of the rare challenges to the Iranian leadership since the 1979 revolution.
About 20,000 individuals have reportedly been detained in relation to the rallies. The officials believe that the riots were instigated by Iran’s “foreign foes.”
Pardons
According to rights organisations, the confrontations has resulted in about 500 deaths. The judiciary department, at least four individuals have faced death penalty. On the other side, the protestors killed dozens of security guards, including those commonly known as plan-cloth guards.
The latter are the unofficial security forces organized under the service of Basij, a popular branch of IRGC. Protesters believed that a large part of the victims have been shot by members of the group.
The president of the Iranian judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, wrote to Khamenei pleading for the mass release. “During recent events, a lot of individuals, especially young people, did improper acts and crimes as a result of the brainwashing and propaganda of the adversary,” Ejei wrote in part of the letter.
Since the executions started, protests have diminished. Many of these young now regret their conduct, according to Ejei, because the goals of the foreign foes and anti-revolutionary campaigns were thwarted.
In commemoration of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Khamenei gave his approval to the pardons. The move is hoped to bring peace and trust back to the Iranian society and heal the social wounds. Khamenei has got a precedent in such merciful orders of pardons, though they were mainly made for social and economic convicts.
