The judiciary's Mizan Online news agency reported that Khamenei endorsed the request from the head of the judiciary to pardon or commute sentences for 2,108 individuals. The clemency applies to various non-political offenses, but the announcement stressed that "defendants and convicts from the recent riots" — a term officials use for the protests — were not included. No protesters or those charged in connection with the unrest were among those freed or granted leniency.
"In light of the situation that has arisen and the recent violent uprising (the protests), I have instructed, first, to handle the cases quickly; second, to remove the names of all convicted individuals connected in any way to the recent security issues from pardon request lists; and I have also instructed that their sentences not be reduced, "Az’ahai, head of the judiciary, said.
The decision comes amid international condemnation of the government's response to the demonstrations, which began Dec. 28, 2025, over economic hardships, political repression and other grievances. Security forces unleashed a severe crackdown, particularly on Jan. 8-9, 2026, using live ammunition and other lethal force that rights groups describe as mass unlawful killings.
Tens of thousands of protesters have been arbitrarily detained since the unrest began, according to Amnesty International and other watchdogs. Reports indicate at least 50,000 arrests, with many subjected to enforced disappearance, torture, sexual violence and grossly unfair trials. Detainees, including children, face risks of prolonged imprisonment or the death penalty on charges such as "treason" or "enmity against God." Amnesty International documented cases of incommunicado detention, forced confessions extracted under duress and denial of access to lawyers or families. Human Rights Watch and others have called for the immediate release of those held solely for peaceful assembly.
No protesters or those charged in connection with the unrest were among those freed or granted leniency.
Despite the scale of repression — described by Amnesty as the deadliest period in decades of its research — no meaningful accountability has emerged for security forces involved in the killings. Internet blackouts imposed during the peak of the violence hindered documentation and communication, further concealing abuses.
The selective clemency underscores the regime's distinction between ordinary prisoners and those perceived as threats to its authority. While some non-political inmates benefit from periodic amnesties tied to national holidays, protesters and political dissidents remain excluded, with ongoing arrests of reformists, lawyers and others continuing into February 2026. Rights groups warn that many detainees could face expedited proceedings in revolutionary courts, where fair trial standards are routinely violated.
Iran's judiciary maintains that prosecutions target only those involved in violence or security threats during the protests, but international observers have urged independent investigations into the crackdown and an end to the use of the death penalty in such cases. As partial internet access returns, families of the detained and killed continue to demand justice, even as the government intensifies efforts to suppress dissent.
Source: DPN, X, Agencies, Staff, AI, February 10, 2026
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but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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