IRAN: PRISONERS RELEASED FOR MEMORIZING THE QURAN

Sixteen prisoners on death row – five women and 11 men – were pardoned after they successfully memorized the Quran, ISNA reported Reza Sadeghi, the head of Isfahan Province "Organisation of Endowments and Charities", as saying.
Of those pardoned, 15 were released entirely, and one prisoner had his death sentence reduced to 15 years imprisonment.
The release ceremony of 15 prisoners took place at the central Isfahan Prison in the presence of the warden and 2,000 prisoners.
Reza Sadeghi said that according to a nationwide directive, prisoners who memorize the Quran can get reduced sentences and be pardoned from heavy sentences such as the death penalty.
At present, the policy of Quranic reprieve is more de facto than de jure; there is no law on the books in Iran specifying sentence reduction for memorizing the Quran. In reality, the decision on who among the hufaaz (a term used by modern Muslims for those who’ve memorized the entire Quran) receives a pardon may depend on a variety of factors, namely the nature of the crime and the political will of the authorities.