Leader grants clemency to 139 prisoners sentenced to death
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has approved a proposal to commute the sentences of 139 prisoners sentenced to death by various courts in the country.
The pardon was granted at the request of the country’s Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Judiciary, Ali Asghar Jahangir, stated that Ayatollah Khamenei granted the amnesty on the basis of Islamic compassion, stressing that the decision comes whilst many countries refuse to grant clemency during wars and crises.
He emphasized that Iranian prisoners convicted of undermining national security and involvement in foreign-backed January riots and acts of sabotage were excluded from the amnesty list.
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.