TEHRAN — Concurrent with the holy month of Ramadan benefactors have donated some 20 billion rials (nearly $480,000) to help free 118 prisoners who committed involuntary crimes, IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

The donations were collected over a charity ceremony held on Sunday night, the report added.

According to the report the largest donation was made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei amounting to 4 billion rials (nearly $95,000).

Blood Money Organization’s director Asadollah Jolaei also said on Sunday that heads of the three branches of government have donated 3.5 billion rials (nearly $83,000) to the foundation to reduce sentences of prisoners.

Jolaei said President Hassan Rouhani donated 2.7 billion rials, Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi 500 million rials and Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani 300 million rials for the cause.

In early may Jolaei has announced that 300 charity events to help free prisoners jailed for unintentional and financial crimes are scheduled to be held during the holy month of Ramadan.

Holding such charity events to help free financially struggling debtors who are held in jail is one of the rituals observed in this month as charity is a very important part of Islam and is even more significant during Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar, which is one of the most blessed months in Islam.

MQ/MG