Iran pardons 157 detained after anti-govt protests
Iran pardoned 157 persons held on charges stemming from their alleged participation in antigovernment protests, the country's judiciary announced on Tuesday, the largest such release of those embroiled in the harsh crackdowns.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told reporters that the persons freed have been imprisoned for "spreading propaganda against the system" and taking part in several waves of protests that challenged the federal government over the last three years. The amnesty was part of a customary clemency order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Khamenei, who gets the final say on all state matters, issued a decree pardoning 3,780 prisoners last week.
As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged Iran, propelling its death toll to highest in the Middle East, the federal government released over 100,000 prisoners to keep carefully the virus from spreading behind bars.Economic grievances in Iran have repeatedly triggered nationwide political unrest recently. In November 2019, security forces smothered protests that were prompted by a sharp increase in gasoline prices, arresting over 1,000 and killing hundreds, according to rights watchdog Amnesty International.
The cases of these caught in crackdowns have drawn international outrage. In September, Iran executed a 27-year-old wrestler accused of stabbing a water supply company employee after taking part in 2018 protests in the southern city of Shiraz. His execution revived demands for Iran to avoid undertaking the death penalty.
