Iran's judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei has told judges to avoid leniency and "unnecessary compassion" when it comes to prosecuting "the main elements of the riots," as anti-government protests continued despite a deadly crackdown and crippling internet blackouts.  

"Lenient verdicts will be injustice toward the public," the hard-line cleric declared at a meeting in Tehran on Oct. 13. He advised the judges to show clemency toward the "less guilty" and "deceived" individuals by releasing some of them pending commitments of "acceptable behavior."  

The comments came one after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told intelligence and judicial authorities to "act on their duties" in the face of the ongoing unrest, which has engulfed Iran since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody last month.    

The chief judge also toughened his stance only three days after a rare expression of openness to listen to public complaints about the judicial proceedings against those arrested. The gesture drew ridicule from among many Iranians on social media, who reviewed similar past promises as well as the ongoing heavy-handed response.