Tehran court chairman called for severe sentences for riots ringleaders

Almaty. January 5. Silkroadnews - The chairman of the Tehran court called for severe sentences for ringleaders of the riots, the Iranian Telegraph Agency (IrTAG) reports referring to Tasnim News Agency.
“Chief Justice of Tehran Province Gholam Hossein Esmaili called on the country’s judges dealing with the cases of those arrested during recent protests to issue harsh sentences for ringleaders of the riots,” the statement said.
He also recommended that judges dealing with the cases of riots’ ringleaders to give severe sentences for destroying property and vandalism. Riots broke out in some Iranian cities over the past few days amid peaceful rallies in protest at rising prices and economic problems.
The security forces have arrested a number of leading rioters and mercenaries related to foreign intelligence services, Esmaili reminded.
There are various conflicting reports about the number of victims and volume of damage during the riots. Some unverified reports say at least 21 people, including members of the security forces, were killed.
Article 27 of the Iranian Constitution states “public gatherings and marches are allowed so long as the participants do not carry arms and are not in violation of the fundamental principles of Islam.”
Some Western and Arab media tried to portray protests as a political uprising against the countries’ authorities.
Iranian officials say people have the right to protest in order to express their opinion, as long as these protests do not violate the law.