TEHRAN — Iranian parliament, Majlis, has approved 2 trillion rials (nearly $47 million) to be earmarked for releasing prisoners of unintentional crimes with the priority given to female prisoners, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday. 

Within the framework of the budget bill for the next fiscal year (starting on March 21) the budget which has seen 1 100-percent increase year-on-year will be allocated to freeing prisoners mostly jailed for unintentional financial crimes. 

The number of prisoners who committed unintentional crimes has increased to 14,000 in the country. 

Blood Money Organization’s director Asadollah Jolaei said in late May 2018 that more than 113,000 prisoners who had committed unintentional crimes were released in the past Iranian calendar year (March 2017-March 2018). 

Total debt of prisoners added up to about 7 trillion rials (nearly $166 million), however, some half of the debts were forgiven by the plaintiffs, he said. 

MQ/MG