Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei agreed on Saturday to pardon or reduce the sentences of 878 people in honour of the Prophet Mohammad's birthday on Sunday, the state news agency IRNA reported. Last September, some 80 political prisoners were released, including prominent human rights activist and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, just before a trip by President Hassan Rouhani to the UN General Assembly in New York. In October, another 1,241 prisoners were pardoned, according to the Nasim news agency.