Rioters gather while blocking a street during a foreign-backed unrest in Tehran on January 9, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Iran`s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi has rejected allegations circulated by hostile media outlets regarding violations of detainees` rights, describing such reports as part of a coordinated psychological warfare campaign against the country.

Late last month, economic hardships, caused and exacerbated by years of Western sanctions, triggered a wave of peaceful protests among merchants in Tehran and other cities.

Officials said that some of the mercenaries were armed, trained, and recruited by US and Israeli spy agencies to incite violence, damage public property, and kill civilians and members of security forces.

Movahedi stressed the importance of "decisive, precise, and lawful handling" of detainee cases. He stated that individuals whose involvement in criminal acts is proven "must be processed swiftly and without leniency, strictly within the framework of the law."

He emphasized that Iran`s criminal procedure law is "one of the most advanced legal frameworks for safeguarding defendants` rights," adding that any failure to observe those rights carries legal consequences.

Movahedi maintains regular contact with prosecutors nationwide to monitor legal, security, and social developments and to issue necessary guidance.

"The claim by hostile media that these rights are not being observed in a legal system where all proceedings are based on the law is a continuation of the enemy`s psychological warfare," he noted.

He asserted that the enemies have attempted to influence public opinion domestically and internationally through "fabricated casualty figures and exaggerated statistics," noting that such efforts, including initiatives raised at the UN Human Rights Council, "have failed to achieve their objectives."

He reassured families that detainees are being treated fully in accordance with the law, stating that judicial officials conduct ongoing prison inspections and monitor detainee conditions to ensure compliance.

"No individual is held without legal grounds or formal charges," he said, adding that family meetings with judicial authorities are taking place and have contributed to cooperation and reassurance.

Iranian judicial officials reiterated that while those responsible for violence and destruction will face firm legal action, individuals who were misled will be treated proportionately under the law.