Anti-Hijab Protest: Iran Pardons 22000 Arrested During Nationwide Agitations

Iran’s Supreme Leader pardoned 22,000 people arrested in the recent anti-Hijab and anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic. Although this decision of the Iran government was announced on Monday, there was no immediate independent confirmation regarding the release of these arrested persons.

This mass pardon hinted at the extent of the Iran government’s crackdown on demonstrations over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the country’s morality police.

This decision also hints that the Iran government wants to pacify the public anger. The Iranian public is dissatisfied over the collapse of the nation’s currency, the rial, economic woes, and uncertainty over its ties with other countries.

The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Iran’s judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi to announce the mass pardon of arrested agitators. Iranian state media had earlier suggested that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may pardon people arrested up in the demonstrations, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan starts later next week.

Ejehi said a total of 82,656 prisoners and those facing charges had been pardoned. Of those, some 22,000 had been arrested amid the demonstrations, he said.

The pardoned ones had not committed theft or violent crimes, he added. His statement hints that the true total number of persons detained in the demonstrations are quite high.