ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four environmentalists convicted of espionage are among more than 2,000 prisoners being granted amnesty by Iran’s Supreme Leader on the occasion of the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday agreed to “pardon or commute” the sentences of 2,127 prisoners proposed by the judiciary to mark the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, state media IRNA reported.
Among the pardoned are four environmentalists who were arrested in 2018 on charges of spying. They are Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Joukar, and Sepideh Kashani. Each was serving up to 10 years in prison.
“This matter has been communicated to my clients in prison, and I have spoken to them, and they confirmed that they have been informed of this news,” their lawyer told IRNA.
Before their arrests, the four were working for the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. The director of the foundation, Kavous Seyed-Emami, died while under interrogation.
The United Nations Environment Programme on Sunday welcomed the announcement of their release.
“The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) welcomes the announcement of the impending release of four conservationists imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including former UNEP colleague Niloufar Bayani,” it said in a statement.
“UNEP looks forward to their effective release in the coming days,” it added.
In December, environmentalist Sam Rajabi, who had been in jail alongside his colleagues, was released after spending nearly six years in prison on charges of spying for the United States.
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