Ayatollah Khamenei Pardons Over 2,000 Convicts Ahead of Eid al-Ghadir

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 2,000 convicts ahead of Eid al-Ghadir, a major Muslim festival, as officially announced by Iran’s judiciary.

The clemency, approved at the request of Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, applies to inmates convicted by general and revolutionary courts, military tribunals, and government penal institutions.

Strict Eligibility Criteria Applied

Judiciary official Ali Mozafari stated on Friday that eligible convicts must have no private plaintiff, no effective criminal record, and must have demonstrated signs of reform after serving part of their sentence. Age, family circumstances, and the nature of the offense are also among the determining factors considered.

“The principle in the judiciary is the full execution of sentences,” Mozafari said. “But when it becomes clear during enforcement that a person has reformed and continued punishment is unnecessary, pardon or sentence reduction becomes possible.”

Most of the 2,000 pardoned convicts will be released immediately, Mozafari added.

Security Convicts Firmly Excluded

Mozafari drew clear red lines, stating that convicts of security crimes, espionage, actions against internal or external national security, and those who have threatened public security will not be pardoned under any circumstances.

“In the current situation where the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in an imposed war with global arrogance, the United States, and the Zionist regime, dealing with crimes against national security is carried out with full decisiveness, and this category of convicts is excluded from any reduction or pardon,” he said.

Cases involving private plaintiffs also cannot receive clemency until the plaintiff’s formal consent is obtained.

A Tradition Tied to Religious Occasions

Such pardons are routinely announced on major religious and national occasions. Eid al-Ghadir, celebrated on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, marks the occasion when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon Him) appointed Imam Ali (AS) as his successor — one of the most significant dates in the Shia Islamic calendar.

Provincial pardon commissions and a central commission reviewed eligible cases despite time constraints caused by holidays and the country’s war footing, Mozafari said. He emphasized that all decisions were based solely on legal criteria.

“No pressure, demand, or consideration outside legal frameworks has any effect on the review process,” he said.

The clemency comes as Iran continues to face heightened tensions with the United States and Israel. Mozafari reiterated that those convicted of crimes against state security remain “entirely outside the scope of any sentence reduction or forgiveness.”