According to the authorities, the people are being brought to justice because of their “subversive actions”. They are accused, among other things, of subjecting security guards to abuse and setting fire to public property.
“Those who intend to undermine the regime are dependent on foreigners and will be punished according to legal norms,” said Iran’s legal spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei. He thereby indicated that some protesters are also accused of conniving with foreign governments.
Tehran has repeatedly, without evidence, accused other countries of fueling the unrest in the country.
Hundreds of protesters will also be prosecuted in the provinces, for everything from corruption to the common crime classification of “war against God”, which can lead to the death penalty.
The nationwide anti-regime protests began after 22-year-old Mahsa Zhina Amini died in police custody on 16 September. More than 250 people have been killed by the excessive violence of the security forces and 14,000 have been arrested, according to several human rights groups.