Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi has ordered officials to decide within a week the fate of protesters detained in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election.

"He has ordered that within a week a decision should be taken concerning the prisoners of the recent events," Judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters on Monday, according to the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA).

Iran became the scene of street protests and political dissensions after its 10th presidential election in June when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared victor by almost two-thirds of the votes. His rivals, however, contend that the vote results were the product of widespread fraud.

The supporters of defeated candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi took to the streets in protest at the results, following which violence broke out and many demonstrators were detained. At least 20 people have been killed during the ensuing unrest.

The Iranian opposition has urged the release of detainees while seeking a referendum on the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad government as a means to end the disquiet.

Senior Iranian official and cleric Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has also called for the release of those who protested against the election, calling the measure the first step of trust building between the establishment and the nation.

Jamshidi said the Judiciary chief had ordered that "Those prisoners who have not committed serious enough crimes to be kept in jail should be freed."

According to his figures, at least 300 protesters remain behind bars.

The spokesman said the chief judge has demanded the creation of a three-man commission tasked with meeting with all post-vote detainees and preparing a report on the situation inside the prisons.

MD/AA