TEHRAN – Mahmoud was sentenced to five years in prison after being arrested for drugs in 2023. His crime is considered small-scale drug possession in Iran, as he obtained it from a large distributor and then used it to sell it to a few acquaintances.
During his two years at Tehran prison, the 32-year-old became clean, frequently attended prison-sponsored NA sessions, and learned new skills through prison training programs. He told prisoners he hopes to become a welder when he was released in 2028.
Mahmoud frequently contacted his mother during prison, keeping his life up to date at the back of the bar. She is also the first person he called when he learned that he had been forgiven by the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seiyed Ali Khamenei, and would not have to serve the rest of his sentence.
“I’m more pleased with my mother than I do,” Mahmoud told an Iranian reporter. “She has been very concerned about me throughout my 20s. Now I’m pretty, I have the skills to make a living and I’ll be out of prison soon.
Mahmoud is one of the roughly 70,000 prisoners who were relented or cut back on the text last week by Ayatollah Khamenei. The leader announced his generosity regarding the birthday anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) after the attorney presented him with a list of lenient standards. With approval from Ayatollah Khamenei, these standards were subsequently distributed to judicial authorities around the country.
Iran’s national television has been broadcasting many reports since the pardon was announced last week. Some videos show a group of inmates jumping and screaming with joy after hearing the announcement on television. Others portray families crying on the phone when they receive news from their loved ones in prison.
This form of pardon is inherent to Iran. The country has two types of tolerance. One is case-specific and focuses on individual justice and rehabilitation. The other, like the more recent ones, is criteria-specific and designed for collective implementations. The ultimate authority of both forms rests on the leader of the Islamic revolution as set out in Article 110, Section 11 of the Iranian Constitution.
“Case-specific tolerance is more complicated. It will be initiated by requests from prisoners, their families, lawyers or prison authorities,” he said in a statement to Iranian judicial spokesman, The Tehran Times. “Even if a request is approved, it will take significantly longer than standard-based leniency. There will be a reserve committee considering the request. It will then be sent to the district court, followed by the main state courts.
In the case of criteria-based tolerance, individual cases have not been reviewed. Instead, the Attorney General establishes certain standards and regulations, with the only necessary approval coming from the leader.
He explained that inmates convicted of unintentional, misdemeanors, and certain financial offences may be eligible for release or reduced sentences if they serve part of their sentence, perform good behavior in prison, and are deemed unlikely to repeat the crime upon returning to society. “Special consideration is given to vulnerable groups, including family heads, elderly people, and women, including individuals with incurable diseases.”
Iran has used standards-based tolerance three times so far. This year, and once in 2018, 60,000-70,000 inmates qualified, and in 2022, approximately 100,000 were eligible for release or reduced sentences. Jahangir, who holds a doctorate in criminology, says Iran’s dual system that allows large pardons for low-risk prisoners benefits both prisoners and authorities. “This process allows inmates to reintegrate more quickly and with fewer complications than society. At the same time, authorities can devote more time, energy and resources to maintain public safety.”
Beyond being a sound and effective strategy, Iran’s generous policy reflects the values of the humanitarian Islam, in which its judicial system was established. This contrasts with frequent accusations by Western states of human rights violations against prisoners in the country.
“I think these cases prove that human rights are not a decorative aspect of Iran’s justice, unlike cases in many Western countries,” says Dr. Hesamuddin Boroumand, a human rights expert and academic. Iran’s criminal law is based on Islamic teaching, confirming that prisoners have rights like all other humans. It also mandates that the dignity and humanity of prisoners must be preserved, regardless of crime, he added.
“Compare this to how Western states treat people. They accuse Iranians of human rights abuses and Islam’s demons, supporting the literal genocide equivalent of Gaza.”