Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to mass amnesty for tens of thousands of prisoners, including those arrested in recent anti-government protests.
Khamenei approved a proposal by judiciary chief Mohseni Ejei for a general pardon and commutation of sentences for "a significant number” of convicts and suspects, state media reported on Sunday
The announcement comes as Iran marks the 44th anniversary of the 1979 revolution on February 11.
According to Article 110 of Iran's Constitution, pardoning convicts or commuting their sentences can take place if the judiciary chief makes the proposal and the Supreme Leader approves it.
It is not clear exactly how many prisoners would be released as part of this amnesty, which comes after almost five months of protests triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman.
Mahsa Amini's death while in police custody in September last year led to massive protests across Iran, during which thousands of people were arrested on various charges.
The amnesty, however, comes with conditions and does not apply to those convicted of spying, affiliation with groups hostile to Iran and corruption. The mass amnesty, thus, would not apply to those sitting on death row or dual nationals convicted of spying for foreign agencies.
