TEHRAN – On the occasion of the first martyrdom anniversary of Commander of the IRGC Quds Force Major General Qassem Soleimani, 202 prisoners of unintentional crimes were released across the country.

Benefactors in 12 provinces have contributed to releasing 1,000 prisoners of unintentional crimes on this occasion, and 1,000 more will be released in the near future, IRIB reported on Sunday.

January 3 was the first anniversary of the assassination of General Soleimani in an American drone strike near Baghdad’s international airport. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), who accompanied Soleimani upon his arrival in Baghdad, was also assassinated in the strike.

Iranian philanthropists have helped free 5,068 inmates of unintentional crimes since the beginning of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20, 2020) till November 20, Asadollah Joolaei, head of Blood Money Organization, has said.

Some 173 female and 4,895 male prisoners were released across the country with a debt of 22 trillion rials (nearly $530 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials), he noted.

According to him, there are currently 12,874 inmates of unintentional crimes in the country’s prisons.

Last year (March 2019-March 2020), some 8,599 inmates of unintentional crimes were released from prison with the help of charities.

MG