Iran's leader pardons thousands of prisoners to mark religious holiday

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has granted pardons or commuted the sentences of more than 3,450 prisoners, his website reported Saturday.

Khamenei "has approved... pardons and sentence reductions for 3,458 people convicted" by various Iranian courts, a statement said.

The measure, at the suggestion of the head of the judiciary, coincides with the anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed's birth, and that of Imam Sadegh, one of the most holy figures in Shiite history. 

Iran marks the birth of both on Sunday. 

Iran's supreme leader routinely grants collective pardons on major religious holidays, in coordination with the head of the judiciary.

In late July, Khamenei pardoned or reduced the sentences of more than 2,800 detainees.

It is unclear what kind of convictions are among those to be pardoned or commuted, however, Iran has in recent years repeatedly detained foreigners and dual nationals on charges campaigners and governments say are unfounded.

Such prisoners are only freed after months and sometimes years of painstaking negotiation.