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Iranian official says 83% of people arrested during Tehran protests were released

December 27, 2022 at 1:38 pm

A group of people holding banners and Iranian flags, gather for a solidarity demonstration for Iranian people following the death of Mahsa Amini, at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 29, 2022 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Alqasi-Mehr announced on Monday, that 83 per cent of those arrested in connection with the recent “riots” in Tehran province have been released, Iranian Mehr News Agency reported.

The agency quoted Alqasi-Mehr as saying that the number of “rioters” detained in Tehran was “very small,” explaining that the detainees included key elements and leaders of the riots.

On 13 December, Alqasi-Mehr announced the issuance of varying prison sentences against 400 people, for their involvement in the “riots.”

Iranian officials use the term “riots” to refer to popular protests that have rocked the country since 16 September, following the death of Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, 22, while in the custody of the so-called “morality police.”

READ: Iran indicts 800 people over ‘riots’ in three provinces

Human rights activists estimate that at least 470 people were killed and 18,000 were arrested during the protests.

Two detainees were executed.

The Iranian authorities’ violent suppression of the protests drew international condemnation.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and entities in response to the suppression of the protests.