An Iranian business tycoon is under investigation after he was arrested over alleged support for nationwide protests last month, a judiciary spokesman said Tuesday.
Mohammad Saedinia, who owns a well-known Iranian confectionery brand and multiple cafes across the country, was arrested on January 13 on charges of "inciting unrest".
Authorities later ordered the seizure of his assets.
"The case is still under investigation," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters on Tuesday.
"If it is proven in court that his actions caused damage, he will not only face legal punishment" but his assets will go towards compensation, he added, without elaborating.
Jahangir said the investigation into Saedinia was launched following intelligence reports alleging that he "had provided support to rioters".
The exact value of Saedinia's assets is unknown but the Fars news agency said last month that it was "almost equal to the material damage inflicted on the capital", without elaborating.
Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani said the capital suffered 3 trillion tomans (more than $19 million) in damages during the unrest.
Protests against the rising cost of living broke out in Iran in late December before morphing into nationwide anti-government demonstrations.
Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 deaths occurred during the unrest but insists that most of those killed were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts".
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it has confirmed 6,854 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with other rights groups warning the figure is likely far higher.
Iranian authorities have said the rallies began as peaceful demonstrations before turning into "riots" involving killings and vandalism, which they say were inflamed by Iran's arch-foes, the United States and Israel.
