89 residents of Likak, a city in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, who were arrested during the November 2019 protests and later released on bail, have been indicted in a joint case nearly five years later.

Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Likak, presided over by Mehrdad Soltani, has charged these individuals with “disturbing public order,” “destruction,” and “arson of public and government property.” The investigating judge cited several pieces of evidence in issuing the indictment, including video reports from law enforcement, dozens of pages of reports from The Ministry of Intelligence’s office in Bahmai County, and confessions from the accused—though it remains unclear under what conditions these confessions were obtained.

Background on November 2019 Protests

The November 2019 protests were widespread demonstrations that began on Friday, November 15, 2019, in response to an unprecedented increase in gasoline prices. The protests occurred in dozens of cities across Iran, with an unprecedented number of protesters taking to the streets for several days. Mohammad Javad Kolivand, a representative from Karaj in Parliament, stated that these protests took place in 719 locations across the country. Seyyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the then-spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Parliament, reported that several thousand people were arrested during these protests. According to human rights organizations, hundreds of people lost their lives in the bloody aftermath of these events.