Iran’s leader pardons 100 prisoners

TEHRAN, Iran – Tehran’s chief prosecutor said Iran’s top leader has pardoned 100 prisoners.  Many of them were jailed for protesting the 2009 presidential election.

Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said based on the pardon decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 70 of the prisoners were released late Saturday.

Authorities did not name the prisoners.

The semi-official Mehr news agency said some of the pardoned prisoners were active in the turmoil that followed the 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Protesters charged the election was rigged, and hundreds were sent to prison.

Iran traditionally releases prisoners on religious occasions, including this week’s end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Khamenei has the final say on all state matters. Last year he pardoned scores prisoners jailed on similar charges.