Iranian press review: High bail and legal hurdles keep protesters in detention
Families of detainees struggle to secure bail
Families of people arrested during recent protests in Iran are facing growing difficulties in securing bail, according to the Shargh daily.
Administrative obstacles, rising bail fees and families’ financial difficulties are making it harder for detainees to secure release before court hearings.
Mustafa Nili, a lawyer, told Shargh: “With inflation and the rising prices of gold and foreign currency, bail has also increased. Now, 10 billion rials [$9,000] is set for each year of imprisonment. In 2022, it was one billion rials per year.”
He added that even for families who could afford high bail, court procedures could prevent them from depositing it. In some cases, security forces turned away families at courthouses and they lost the chance to secure bail on time.
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A mother visiting Qarchak prison to release her daughter told the daily that she had to present the deed of her brother’s house to meet a 50 billion rial bail requirement, because her own home was still mortgaged.
“These days, when I talk to my daughter [in prison], she says that many other prisoners don’t have any way to meet bail,” she added.
Hundreds of high school students arrested
A report by the Qom Seminary on 11,252 people arrested in recent protests shows that 17 percent of them are high school students, according to the Etemad daily.
Iranian officials have not released the total number of arrests from the protests, which erupted on 28 December and lasted into mid-January. However, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that more than 42,000 people were arrested, with security forces continuing to detain more.
The Etemad daily also said that 77 percent of those arrested are under 30, and 65 percent come from low-income families.
“The majority of those who participated in the protests were young people facing feelings of hopelessness, injustice, and alienation from official institutions,” the report said.
It also challenged the government’s claim that foreign factors were the main cause of the protests.
“The data strongly undermines the ‘foreign-centric’ explanation as the sole factor,” the report said. “This single-factor view makes social dialogue impossible and fuels a cycle of violence.”
Official sources have released no statistics on the protests beyond the number of deaths. The government reported 3,117 fatalities, while independent sources say the real toll is much higher. HRANA said it has documented 6,221 deaths so far.
Currency devaluation and rising prices continue
One month after protests erupted in Iran over the sharp fall of the national currency, the rial has again hit a record low against the US dollar, despite repeated government promises to stabilise the situation.
On Wednesday, Eghtesad News reported that the rial reached its weakest level ever, with one US dollar trading at 1.57 million rials on the open market. When the protests began on 28 December, the rate stood at 1.47 million rials per dollar.
As the currency continues to lose value, prices of basic goods have surged across the country. Khabar Online reported steep increases in meat and dairy prices: milk is up by about 85 percent since late 2025, while yoghurt and cheese have risen by 40 to 50 percent.
In another report, the outlet warned that government measures to control meat prices, by forcing domestic producers to sell livestock, could lead to shortages next year, likely pushing prices even higher.
These increases are already affecting households, with reports showing that many low-income families have cut meat and dairy from their diets because they can no longer afford them.
Sociologists warn of ongoing cycle of violence
The National Sociological Association of Iran has called for an end to the country’s cycle of violence, describing the killing of civilians as a dangerous act that could lead to widespread social collapse and destroy the “foundations of social solidarity and public trust”.
In a statement in response to the brutal crackdown on recent protests, the association said: “At this point, managing the crisis through words or controlling critical voices is no longer possible. Society has entered a cycle of escalating violence, creating serious uncertainty and fear – not only for personal safety, but also for Iran’s future.”
'No political or military justification can excuse this level of human suffering and destruction'
– National Sociological Association of Iran
The group – which has, in previous protests, urged officials to listen to demonstrators rather than suppress them – warned that ignoring the public’s demands would push the country onto a path of no return.
The statement also highlighted the dangers of “normalising widespread human death”, calling the ongoing violence devastating for Iranian society.
It concluded: “No political or military justification can excuse this level of human suffering and destruction. Ignoring it is unacceptable, not only morally, but also socially and scientifically.”
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