Release innocent people arrested during fuel price hike protests: Rouhani

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday called for the release of innocent people who were arrested during nationwide protests against a fuel price hike last month.

Demonstrations erupted in Iran on November 15 against the unexpected decision to raise the price of petrol by as much as 200 per cent.

Iran has yet to give overall figures for the number of people arrested when security forces moved in to quell the unrest that saw buildings torched and shops looted.

“All those people who have been arrested, of course some of them are innocent and should be freed,” Rouhani said in an address broadcast by state television.