Iran’s Prosecutor General Acknowledges Legitimacy of Economic Protests, Warns Against Disorder

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that recent protests driven by economic grievances are legitimate, while warning that any effort to exploit the demonstrations to create insecurity or damage public property would face a firm legal response.

“Peaceful livelihood protests are part of social and understandable realities,” Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad told state media. However, he cautioned that “any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response.”

His comments come amid a wave of demonstrations in recent days involving traders, students, and other groups expressing frustration over rising prices, currency depreciation, and declining purchasing power.

Protests were reported in central Tehran and at universities in several cities, including Isfahan, Yazd, and Zanjan, according to Iranian and international media.

Sharp economic pressures, including a steep fall in the value of the Iranian rial and high inflation, have fueled the unrest. When protests erupted earlier this week, the US dollar was trading at around 1.42 million rials, compared with roughly 820,000 rials a year ago, driving up the cost of imported goods and straining small businesses.

Iran’s economy has long been affected by international sanctions, with conditions further tightening after the reinstatement of certain UN sanctions related to Tehran’s nuclear program in late September.

Official data put annual inflation at more than 50 percent in December, though many households and traders say price increases for basic goods have been significantly higher.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to project a conciliatory tone, calling for dialogue with protesters and instructing officials to engage with representatives of affected groups. Earlier this week, the government announced the replacement of the central bank governor, a move widely seen as an attempt to stabilize markets and signal responsiveness to public concerns.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has also urged measures to boost purchasing power, while warning against attempts to exploit protests for political ends.

Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized a distinction between lawful protest and actions they say threaten public order. Movahedi-Azad’s remarks reflect a broader effort by the authorities to acknowledge economic grievances while reinforcing red lines around security and stability.

The current demonstrations remain limited in scale compared with previous waves of unrest, including the nationwide protests of 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, and the widespread demonstrations in 2019 triggered by fuel price hikes. Those episodes resulted in significant casualties and mass arrests, shaping how the state now approaches public dissent.

As economic pressures persist and regional tensions remain high, the authorities face the challenge of managing public frustration while preventing escalation. For now, official statements signal an attempt to balance recognition of legitimate social demands with warnings against actions deemed to cross into disorder or violence.