Tehran Prosecutor on Market Protests: Many Individuals Have Been Sent to Prison

While the Tehran prosecutor reports the 'introduction' of many market protesters to prison during recent protests, an informed source told Radio Farda about the closure of the market in the city of Arak on Thursday. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, on Wednesday evening, July 6, regarding the suppression of protests that occurred in the markets of Tehran and several other cities in Iran due to currency fluctuations, stated that 'many disruptors have been identified and introduced to prison.' However, despite repeated warnings from officials of the Islamic Republic against protest movements in the markets, an informed source, who wished to remain anonymous, reported on Thursday, July 7, in an interview with Radio Farda that 'most shops are closed' in the city of Arak. No reports have yet reached Radio Farda regarding the cessation or continuation of protests in other cities. The protest gatherings, which began on Sunday, July 3, in several commercial complexes in Tehran and led to the closure of the Tehran market on Tuesday, continued on Wednesday and then spread to the markets of several other cities in Iran. Following these protests, on Wednesday, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi announced the 'arrest of many' protesters and warned them. According to the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, he described the number of detainees as 'many' the following day, Wednesday evening, stating that they had been 'identified and introduced to prison.' This judicial official did not provide any information about the identity and details of those accused of 'disruption' and only said: 'We believe these gatherings and their agents were not from the merchants.' However, on Wednesday, the Tehran prosecutor emphasized the economic corruption law, stating that according to 'Article 2 of this law, two punishments of death and twenty years of imprisonment and confiscation of the criminal's property are considered, with the death penalty applying when the individual harms the system.' This law had previously been emphasized by the head of the judiciary in response to recent protests. Sadeq Larijani, the head of the judiciary, threatened on Tuesday, July 5, that this authority would deal with government officials or others who 'disrupt' the economy of Iran. He added: 'Listen carefully, take the cotton out of your ears and open your eyes; disruption in the economic system of the country has very heavy penalties, and if it is a case of corruption on earth, the death penalty applies.' According to Mr. Larijani, 'disruption in the economic system' also carries a '20-year prison sentence' if it is not a case of 'corruption on earth.' 'Disruption' in the economic system is a key phrase that after the head of the judiciary, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic pointed out and asked the judiciary to deal with 'disruptors of economic security.' Now, the Tehran prosecutor has issued a warning following these two high-ranking officials: 'We warn all those who engage in commercial activities to know that if they fall under this law and the crimes mentioned in it, we will definitely address them and bring them to justice.' He also threatened: 'The penalties stipulated in this law [against economic corruption] do not include reduction or mitigation, and if the convicted person appeals their sentence, a higher court cannot reduce the sentence.' The head of the judiciary on Tuesday at a nationwide judiciary conference described economic disruptors as those who 'by pouring their money into the market and collecting dollars and coins want to inflame the market.' This official's reference may relate to Nasser Seraaj, the head of the Inspection Organization, who stated that out of seven million and six hundred thousand registrations for coin purchases, fifty individuals hold five percent of these coins. Mr. Seraaj also revealed on Wednesday that in the pre-sale plan of coins, a 31-year-old citizen purchased nearly 40,000 coins and paid more than 50 billion tomans for them. Following the increase in currency and gold prices, the Central Bank of Iran implemented a plan for selling coins in recent months.