Over 140 still detained after unrest in Iran

Reuters:

More than 140 people out of 344 arrested in southwest Iran remain in jail following weekend ethnic unrest in which at least five people died, a judiciary official was quoted as saying on Wednesday. READ MORE

The protests, Iran's bloodiest for several years, have been noted in Washington where the State Department said on Tuesday it was "very concerned" and urged the government to exercise restraint.

"Two hundred out of 344 arrested people have been released," Amir Khani, state prosecutor in Khuzetsan's capital Ahvaz, was quoted as saying on the state broadcasting network IRIB's Web site.

"The rest could be released on bail if their families pay. The main people responsible for the disorder number at least 10 who will be strongly confronted by the judiciary," he added. ...

Various theories have been put forward by officials and politicians for the cause of the unrest, ranging from attempts to influence Iran's June presidential elections to foreign plots aimed at destabilising the Islamic Republic. ...