Leader Grants Clemency to over 560 Iranian Prisoners
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday pardoned or commuted the sentences of 565 Iranian convicts.
The pardon was granted at the request of the country’s Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime 39 years ago, on February 11, 1979, ending the 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.
The revolution, led by the late Imam Khomeini, established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.
Every year Iranians celebrate the anniversary of their Islamic Revolution from February 1 to 11, known as the Ten-Day Fajr (dawn) ceremonies.
February 1, 1979, was the date when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in Paris to Tehran.
Article 110 of the Constitution grants the Leader the right to pardon or reduce the sentences of convicts upon a recommendation from the head of the Judiciary.
The clemency, however, does not apply to certain types of convicts, including those who have been sentenced for their role in the armed struggle against the country, armed or organized drug trafficking, armed robbery, arms smuggling, abduction, bribery, and embezzlement.
