Iran's national police chief said on Monday that people who were "deceived" into joining demonstrations the authorities have deemed "riots" would receive lighter punishment if they turned themselves in within three days.
"Young people who became unwittingly involved in the riots are considered to be deceived individuals, not enemy soldiers", and "will be treated with leniency by the Islamic republic system", Ahmad-Reza Radan told state television, adding they had "a maximum of three days" to surrender.
Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years.
The protests subsided after a violent crackdown rights groups said left thousands dead.
Iranian officials have said the demonstrations were peaceful before turning into "riots" fuelled by Iran's arch-foes the United States and Israel and aimed at destabilising the Islamic republic.
Security officials cited by the Tasnim news agency said late last week around 3,000 people have been arrested in connection to the demonstrations, as rights groups say the number is up to 20,000.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday authorities "must break the back of the seditionists" and said domestic and foreign "criminals" would not be spared punishment.
