In a significant judicial development, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has authorized clemency measures for 2,108 convicts, approving either full pardons or substantial sentence reductions. The announcement, made public through the judiciary’s official Mizan Online portal on Tuesday, comes as the nation prepares to commemorate the anniversary of its Islamic Revolution—a period traditionally marked by such acts of governmental mercy.
Judicial authorities explicitly confirmed that these pardons exclude all individuals connected to recent civil unrest. According to Deputy Judiciary Chief Ali Mozaffari, the comprehensive list deliberately omits ‘defendants and convicts from the recent riots,’ drawing a clear distinction between general criminal cases and those involving protest-related charges.
The background to this exclusion stems from widespread demonstrations that initially erupted in late December over economic pressures and living costs, subsequently evolving into broader anti-establishment protests. Iranian officials acknowledge over 3,000 fatalities during this period, characterizing the events as foreign-instigated violence involving ‘terrorist acts.’ Conversely, international monitoring groups like HRANA report significantly higher casualty figures, estimating nearly 7,000 deaths predominantly among protesters.
This clemency exercise follows established patterns where Iranian leadership utilizes religious and national occasions to demonstrate judicial leniency, though the current administration maintains its firm stance against those participating in what it terms ‘domestic criminality’ during civil disturbances.