TEHRAN - The Judiciary does not consider those who protested against increase in gas price as rioters, the spokesman for Judiciary said on Tuesday. 

“From the Judiciary’s point of view, those who protested against gas price rise plan and those who voiced their concern about their future and possible negative impacts of the plan on prices of other goods and services are different from thugs,” Gholamhossein Esmayeeli told reporters. 

“Those who set public properties on fire and killed security forces and even civilians were a special group of rioters and thugs who were affiliated to anti-revolution groups supported by alien countries’ spy agencies,” Esmayeeli added.  

On Monday, Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi highlighted the necessity of compensating the human and financial losses caused by the recent unrest, calling on the administration to take measures to that end.

“We ask the authorities, especially the administration, to take measures to compensate the losses,” Raisi added.

He said the Judiciary would also follow up on the issue, assuring the victims of the unrest of legal support by the country’s justice system.

Raisi also said the Judiciary was pursuing the cases of those who were arrested during the riots.

Protests erupted in Iran on November 15 after the government announced an increase in the price of gasoline, a subsidized commodity that is still cheaper in Iran than other countries in the world.

The proceeds from the price increase are paid in the form of cash subsidies to 60 million Iranians, who account for about 75 percent of the population.

The rationed gasoline, which is 60 liters per month, is priced 1500 tomans (35 cents) and any amount beyond that is 3000 tomans (70 cents).

The calculation is based on the official rate of 4200 tomans per dollar. However, the value of the dollar, due to the U.S. president’s strategy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, is almost 2.5 times higher in the free market.

Following the people’s protests, rioters misused the demonstrations and damaged public and private property and put banks, gas stations, and state buildings on fire.

MJ/PA