Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued pardons for 139 individuals previously sentenced to death, along with nearly 2,000 others, in a move announced ahead of the Shia religious holiday Eid al-Ghadir. The pardons come amid ongoing domestic unrest and international criticism of Tehran’s human rights record.

According to the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), those convicted of security-related offenses, espionage, and crimes considered threats to internal or external security were excluded from the amnesty. Officials have not publicly disclosed the identities of the pardoned individuals or detailed the specific offenses that qualified for clemency.

Iran’s police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, reported last month that more than 6,500 people had been arrested on charges of espionage since the outbreak of conflict on February 28. Many detainees linked to economic protests in January and the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom demonstrations were also charged with national security crimes and are unlikely to benefit from the pardon.

Experts suggest the pardons are part of a broader strategy by the regime to address mounting challenges. Menahem Merhavi, a fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, described the move as an attempt to alleviate international and domestic pressure, particularly as unrest continues to simmer. Recent weeks have seen new campus protests alongside worsening economic conditions, raising concerns within the government about potential escalation.

“The regime is very concerned that the situation will reach a boiling point once this agreement is finalized and the harm to Iran is exposed,” Merhavi said, referring to ongoing political and social tensions. He added that the pardons aim to improve the regime’s image and address its legitimacy crisis within the country.

On the international front, Iran has faced widespread condemnation for its extensive use of capital punishment and human rights abuses. The European Union has responded by blacklisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and barring Iranian diplomats from its premises. Several European Parliament members even called for military intervention earlier this year following mass killings of demonstrators.

Human rights organizations have documented a surge in executions under the current regime, with estimates suggesting around 1,639 people were executed in 2022 alone, the highest toll since 1989. Amnesty International has accused Iranian authorities of exploiting wartime conditions to justify harsh crackdowns on dissent and curtail freedoms. Erika Guevara Rosas, a senior Amnesty official, emphasized that the government has engaged in a comprehensive assault against critics, including suppressing information through extended internet shutdowns.

Skepticism remains about the genuineness of the amnesty. Ben Sabti, an Iran analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies, described the pardons as a propagandistic gesture reminiscent of past symbolic moves. He highlighted the regime’s failure to verify or publicize details about those freed, suggesting the pardons likely apply to individuals convicted of minor economic offenses rather than political prisoners. “They take the hostage, and after that, free him, so they seem kind,” Sabti remarked.

Rebin Rahmani, director of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, noted that such amnesties traditionally occur on significant religious occasions and generally benefit those convicted of ordinary crimes rather than political offenses. He cautioned against interpreting the policy as one that fosters ethnic or religious division, explaining that exclusions tend to be based on offense type rather than identity.

The release initiative reflects the tension between Iran’s efforts to project a merciful image while maintaining strict control over political dissent and national security threats, underscoring the complex dynamics shaping the regime’s current approach.