Iran decrees mass pardon in honor of revolution’s 40th anniversary, report says
Previous reports suggest some 50,000 prisoners could either be freed or have their sentences reduced as Islamic Republic celebrates its founding
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TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned a “large number” of prisoners in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, state TV said.
The report Thursday did not say how many prisoners were released, but previous reports suggested it would apply to some 50,000 prisoners, the largest number ever covered in a single pardon. Some prisoners would be released while others would have their sentences reduced.
Iran is celebrating the 1979 revolution, which toppled a Western-backed monarchy and ushered in four decades of clerical rule. Khamenei, who issued the decree, has the final say on all major policies.
Iran has some 240,000 prisoners. It is holding several dual-citizens with Western nationality on allegations of threatening national security. It’s unclear whether any would be included in the pardon.
The festivities start every year on February 1 — the day Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned home from France after 14 years in exile, to become the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Known as the “Ten Days of Dawn,” they conclude on February 11, the date Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s government collapsed after brief clashes between some army units and revolutionary gunmen, following nationwide protests.
The Times of Israel Community.