Shafaq News- Tehran

Iranian judicial authorities said on Friday that individuals convicted of espionage, national security offenses, or crimes deemed harmful to the country's internal or external security will not be eligible for pardons or sentence reductions.

In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Deputy Head of Iran's Judiciary Nasser Seraj said priority would instead be given to prisoners who have no private complainants, no significant criminal record, have served part of their sentence, and demonstrated signs of rehabilitation.

"The principle is that judicial sentences should be fully implemented," Seraj said. "However, if it becomes clear during the execution of a sentence that the offender has been reformed and continued punishment is no longer necessary, a pardon or sentence reduction may be considered."

He added that cases involving private complainants cannot benefit from clemency without the complainant's consent, noting that such penalties are intended to protect public rights and social security.

Iran frequently discloses arrests and executions of individuals accused of spying, particularly in cases linked to foreign intelligence services. On May 24, authorities executed an alleged spy and arrested 15 people on accusations related to “rioting.”