Iran Pardons 22,000 People Arrested During Recent Protests

The Iranian judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, announced on Monday that 22,000 people arrested during the recent protests in the country had been pardoned. The figure may increase, he added, as some of those pardoned had been convicted, while others were still awaiting their trials. The pardon was proposed on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution on February 11.

The total number of inmates being granted pardons stands at 82,000.

Iran has accused the United States and other Western countries of “inciting riots and supporting terrorists” in the country, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in a Tehran hospital on September 16, 2022. Her collapse while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol, the so-called morality police.

Amini had been arrested for violating Iran’s mandatory hijab law and was allegedly beaten by police officers. The protests have since spread throughout the country, with the government responding with internet blackouts, social media restrictions, and force. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands arrested.