Pardoned prisoners include those arrested in recent anti-government protests after deadly state crackdown
\n DUBAI
\nIran\u2019s supreme leader has pardoned \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of prisoners including some arrested in recent anti-government protests, state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday, after a deadly state crackdown helped quell the nationwide unrest.
\nHowever, the pardon approved by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came with conditions, according to details announced in state media reports, which said the measure would not apply to any of the numerous dual nationals held in Iran.
\nState news agency IRNA said those accused of \u201ccorruption on earth\u201d\u2014a capital charge brought against some protesters, four of whom have been executed\u2014would also not be pardoned.
\nNeither would it apply to those charged with \u201cspying for foreign agencies\u201d or those \u201caffiliated with groups hostile to the Islamic Republic\u201d, state media reported.
\nIran was swept by protests following the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the country\u2019s morality police last September. Iranians from all walks of life took part, marking one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
\nAccording to the HRANA activist news agency, about 20,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, which the authorities accused Iran\u2019s foreign enemies of fomenting.
\nRights 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.
\nIn a letter to Khamenei requesting the pardon, judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said: \u201cDuring recent events, a number of people, especially young people, committed wrong actions and crimes as a result of the indoctrination and propaganda of the enemy.
\nProtests have slowed considerably since the hangings began.
\n\u201cSince the foreign enemies and anti-revolutionary currents\u2019 plans have been foiled, many of these youth now regret their actions,\u201d Ejei wrote.
\nKhamenei approved the pardons in honour of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
\nIt would not apply to those \u201cfacing 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\u201d.
\n\u201cNaturally, those who do not express regret for their activities and give a written commitment for not repeating those activities, will not be pardoned,\u201d deputy judiciary chief Sadeq Rahimi said, state media reported.
\nThe Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said this week that at least 100 detained protesters faced possible death sentences.
\nAmnesty International has criticised Iranian authorities for what it called \u201csham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pardoned prisoners include those arrested in recent anti-government protests after deadly state crackdown DUBAI Iran\u2019s supreme leader has pardoned \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of prisoners including some arrested in recent anti-government protests, state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday, after a deadly state crackdown helped quell the nationwide unrest. However, the pardon approved by Ayatollah Ali […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-311976","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n