TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has accepted a proposal to pardon and commute the prison terms of more than 2,100 convicts on the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.
A total of 2,187 prisoners found guilty by various Iranian courts have been pardoned or their sentences have been commuted upon the decree by Ayatollah Khamenei.
The pardon was granted at the request of the country’s Judiciary Chief Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi.
Eid al-Fitr, also called Feast of Breaking the Fast, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world. The observance traditionally begins with the sighting of the new moon of the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This year, the Eid falls on May 13 in Iran.
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 all types of convicts, including those who have been sentenced for their role in armed struggle against the country, armed or organized drug trafficking, rape, armed robbery, arms smuggling, abduction, bribery and embezzlement.