TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Saturday approved a proposal to pardon or commute sentences of 5,156 prisoners on the occasion of the birthday of Imam Reza (AS) and Judicial Week.

The decision was made upon a request by Judiciary chief Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, who had asked the Leader to treat prisoners with specific conditions leniently. 

Article 110 of the Constitution gives the Leader the right to pardon or commute sentences of inmates based on the recommendations of the head of the judicial body. However, the pardon does not apply to certain types of prisons, including those convicted of participating in armed drug smuggling, arms trafficking, kidnapping, acid attacks, rape, armed robbery, bribery, embezzlement, counterfeiting, money laundering, economic disruption, smuggling of alcoholic beverages and organized smuggling of basic goods.

SA/PA