TEHRAN: Iran, rocked by months of protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, has released several dozen well-known prisoners in an apparent attempt to appease critics of the government.

The limited amnesty comes as the frequency and size of rallies have eased off in the winter months since their peak after the mid-September death in custody of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman.

She died after her arrest for allegedly flouting dress rules that demand women wear hijab headscarves and modest clothing, setting off months of civil unrest that Iran has generally labeled foreign-instigated “riots.” Hundreds were killed, among them security forces, and thousands arrested, with four convicts hanged.

Many of those detained are believed to still be behind bars, and those out on bail still face the threat of ongoing legal cases against them.

But as the street tensions have calmed somewhat, Iran has released a group of high-profile detainees in recent weeks, a step seen as an attempt to de-escalate after months of turmoil.

The reformist newspaper Etemad ran pictures of 50 newly liberated figures on its front page. Among them were filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, French Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah, and activists.

AFP