In a sign Iran's government is intensifying its crackdown on protesters angered by the death of a young woman while in police custody for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab, the head of the country's judiciary said "tough sentences" should be issued to those apprehended by police.
A wave of protests has swept across the country following the death Mahsa Amini last month. The 22-year-old died three days after being taken into custody by the morality police for allegedly violating Iran's strict law mandating women wear a hijab, or head scarf, when in public.
Her supporters and family say she was beaten during her arrest, while officials have said she had "underlying diseases."
"I have instructed our judges to avoid showing unnecessary sympathy to main elements of these riots and issue tough sentences for them while separating the less guilty people," the state ISNA news agency quoted Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei as saying on October 13.
Iran Human Rights said on October 12 that at least 201 people, including 23 children, have been killed in the protests that have rocked Iran, and the Oslo-based group warned that more fatalities are likely in a continued "bloody crackdown."
The Iranian government has imposed a near-total Internet shutdown to try and quell the protests.
