Hijab row: Amnesty for prisoners in Iran

Dubai, February 5

Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for “tens of thousands” of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.

The decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the supreme leader does before the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the protests.

State media offered a list of caveats over the order as well that means those with ties abroad or facing internationally criticised spying charges wouldn’t be eligible.

State media reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran.

However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters.

Authorities also did not name any of those who had been pardoned or seen shorter sentences.

Instead, state television for instance referred to the demonstrations as being a “foreign-backed riot,” rather than homegrown anger over the September death of Masha Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the morality police. — AP

No list yet

• Those who had been pardoned or given shorter sentences not named by the authorities yet
• Detention facilities facing overcrowding in the country after years of protests

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