Iran frees 157 detained during protests as more U.S. sanctions loom
DUBAI, Nov 10- Iran has freed 157 people arrested during anti-government protests last year, the country’s judiciary said on Tuesday, as the United States appeared poised to impose sanctions on Iranians involved in a violent crackdown on the protesters. Iran’s judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said the 157 “security detainees” were among 2,301…
DUBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Iran has freed 157 people arrested
during anti-government protests last year, the country’s
judiciary said on Tuesday, as the United States appeared poised
to impose sanctions on Iranians involved in a violent crackdown
on the protesters.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters onMonday the United States is expected to impose the sanctions asearly as next week, coinciding with the one-year anniversary ofwhat may have been the bloodiest repression of protesters inIran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Iran’s judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said the157 “security detainees” were among 2,301 people freed under apardon by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part ofevents marking the anniversary of the birth of the ProphetMohammad, state media reported.
The 157 suspects had been convicted of “propaganda againstthe system, (illegal) assembly and collusion, and taking part inriots” after being arrested in anti-government protests inrecent years, the spokesman said.
Rights groups estimate that thousands were arrested in the2019 protests, which broke out over gasoline price hikes andquickly turned political, with protesters demanding that topofficials step down.
The sources said the sanctions had been in the works formonths and were the latest in a long series of U.S. penaltiesimposed on Tehran by U.S. President Donald Trump after hewithdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in2018.(Reporting by Dubai newsroomEditing by Gareth Jones)
