TEHRAN- The head of Iran’s Judiciary asserted on Monday that the courts have looked into more than 20,000 cases involving riots that occurred in the country last year.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei made the remarks while speaking at the national annual conference of the Judiciary. 

Following the past year’s riots in Iran, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, issued an amnesty which saw the release of around 98,000 prisoners.

In order to qualify for the Leader’s amnesty, Mohseni-Ejei had previously stated that the Judiciary had divided the cases of “repentant individuals” from those of the rioters.

The unrest of the past year was to a large extent, instigated by foreign elements, he said, adding that some individuals had also taken to the streets without having any affiliation to foreigners.

Following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, a wave of unrest erupted in certain cities across Iran. Many people, including civilians and security forces, died during the unrest. 

She had been arrested for a loose covering of hijab.

Officials have said that the unrest was instigated by foreign intelligence agencies. The unrest also strained Iran’s relations with Western countries, which moved to impose sanctions on Iran under the pretext of supporting human rights and accused Iran of cracking down on the protesters. 

The unrest faded away months ago. But it prompted many Iranian officials to study the roots of the protests.

A coroner’s study proved that that Amini’s death was not caused by a possible blow to her head or any vital organs.