Iran announces pardons for 22,000 people arrested in protests

Iran on Monday announced that over 22,000 people arrested in recent anti-government and women's rights protests have been pardoned. 

Iran’s judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi said that over 82,000 people have been pardoned overall, including 22,628 who were arrested over the past few months during anti-government protests, the state-run IRNA news agency reported, as translated by The Associated Press.

None of the pardons included people accused of violent crimes or theft, Ejehi added. 

The pardons were offered before the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan next week.

Protests erupted in Iran in fall 2023 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the Islamic Republic's so-called morality police for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab, or hair covering.

The exact number of imprisoned protesters is still unclear, and it is unknown if the pardons are actually occurring. 

"From day one there was no transparent accounting of who was arrested and imprisoned – before or after the mass protests these past months – which is why there’s no way to verify how many are being released now," said Center for Human Rights in Iran Deputy Director Jasmin Ramsey.