Some 22,000 people arrested in the recent Iran protests that swept the Islamic Republic have been pardoned, according to the country’s head of judiciary.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi was quoted as announcing the figure by the state-run IRNA news agency on Monday.

He claimed a total of 82,656 prisoners and those facing charges had been pardoned, and of those, some 22,000 had been arrested during the demonstrations.

Mr Ejehi added that those pardoned had not committed theft or violent crimes.

Previous reports had suggested Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could pardon many people who were caught up in the demonstrations ahead of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Months of continuing protests were sparked in September by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the country’s morality police.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The judiciary’s announcement suggests that Iran’s theocracy now feels secure enough to admit the scale of the unrest, which marked one of the most serious challenges to the establishment since the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Tens of thousands of people were also detained in the purges that followed the revolution.

Read more:
Iran: Protests break out over suspected poisoning of schoolgirls
Iran International editor says Tehran threats ‘getting out of hand’ after TV channel forced to leave UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

But many are still angry as the nation struggles through the collapse of its currency, the rial, as well as economic woes and uncertainty of its ties to the rest of the world after the collapse of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Last month, Iran acknowledged that “tens of thousands” had been detained in the recent protests, so Mr Ejehi’s announcement on Monday offered an even higher figure than what activists had previously cited.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Human Rights Activists, a group in Iran that has been tracking the crackdown, reported that more than 19,700 people were arrested during the protests.

The group claimed that at least 530 people had been killed as authorities violently suppressed demonstrations.

Related posts:

Muslims urged to remain cautious during Eid as global celebrations muted by pandemic New Zealand PM takes COVID-19 test after picking up ‘seasonal sniffle’ from daughter At least 58 people dead in the US as the remnants of Storm Ida bring flooding and tornadoes Omicron: South Africa doctors see ‘skyrocketing’ cases but symptoms ‘mild’ At least 50 people infected with Omicron variant at Christmas party in Norway Canadian ‘influencer’ party flight passengers face inquiry after returning from Cancun Macron and Le Pen to face each other in final round of French presidential election Residents tell of dramatic escape from Hurricane Ian Dramatic before and after images show scale of Hurricane Ian’s destruction French Football Federation chief suspended following comments about Zinedine Zidane State of disaster declared in South Africa as country grapples with electricity crisis Zelenskyy to discuss Russia’s involvement in Paris Olympics as Ukraine threatens to boycott