TEHRAN – Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi on Monday 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,” ISNA quoted Raisi as saying.

He said the Judiciary will 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 is pursuing the cases of those who were arrested during the riots.

“The cases of individuals, including rioters and those affiliated with foreigners, who were handed over to the Judiciary by police, the Intelligence Ministry, the Guards and other bodies are under fair and legal investigation,” he stated.

“Inshallah, the people will be soon informed about the handling of these cases,” he added.

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.

Rioters damaged public and private property and put banks, gas stations, and state buildings on fire.

Commander of the Tehran division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Reza Yazdi, said on Sunday investigations are underway to clarify the cause of death of those who lost their lives during the unrest.

“In the same way that people diverge from rioters, those who innocently lost their lives also diverge from those who wanted to damage public property,” Yazdi said.

Meanwhile, the way the price hike was implemented has been widely criticized by many Iranian figures.

In his remarks on Monday, Raisi said there were some problems with the government’s implementation of the policy, emphasizing that not gaining public trust or forming a consensus led to the protests.

The protests should be heard, he stressed.

The Judiciary chief also said rioters and foreign enemies harnessed the power of the protests in order to reach their objectives.

Also on Monday, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the Iranian nation gave an appropriate response to those who tried to foment insecurity in the country.

“I hope that we can pay special attention to the security of the people via expanding coordination,” he said.

He said despite all the problems, the Iranian people still support the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic.

Rahmani Fazli also criticized those who take advantage of the unrest in order to further their political agenda.

“This is a national issue which is related to the country’s security. Therefore, it should not be exploited because of political competitions.”

MH/PA