Supreme leader to pardon some detainees

A limited amnesty is to be offered to many of those detained in the recent Iranian protests, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has agreed.

- Patrick Wintour

But the amnesty does not apply to dual nationals, those convicted of offences carrying the death penalty or those who refuse to admit and regret their crimes, Iranian officials said.

The amnesty will not apply to those deemed to have cooperated with foreign agents, or those charged with committing acts of arson against government buildings. Those “affiliated with groups hostile to the Islamic Republic” will also be excluded, a catch-all that suggests the authorities may only be interested in releasing youngsters with minimal political motives, who can be portrayed as being swayed by emotion or foreign propaganda online.