Iran frees 100 political prisoners

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Iran has pardoned 100 political prisoners in a bid to appease the opposition and reduce tensions six months before the parliamentary elections.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered the release from jail of a number of prisoners recommended to him by the head of the judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, to mark Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festivity at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Iranian media reported that almost 70 political prisoners out of 1oo had been freed in the past few days and others had had their sentences reduced or suspended. They are thought to be prisoners arrested following Iran's disputed presidential elections in 2009 but state news agencies described them as "prisoners convicted of security-related crimes". Some agencies said other prisoners have also been granted clemency.

"Based on an agreement of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 100 prisoners charged with security crimes have been granted amnesty. Some of them were involved in post-election sedition two years ago," the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. Iran describes the post-election unrest as a "sedition" orchestrated by foreign powers.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/30/iran-frees-100-political-prisoners

---

What about the American hikers??

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Yeah, what about the American hikers???

[slackmaster]

2. 100 is a nice round number

:eyes:

[Arctic Dave]

3. Why doesn't the US release spies too!

This is part of custom, all heads of state in the ME do it.