Iran's chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri has described women's protests against the mandatory wearing of a headscarf in public as "childish."
"This is a trivial matter and not a matter of concern. This was a childish move by a young girl taking off her scarf, where some are carrying on with their daily lives," he said.
Montazeri also suggested that the protests could be instigated by foreigners.
"I think those who committed these acts did it out of ignorance and through being incited. They could have been influenced from outside the country," he noted.
The remarks came shortly after police apprehended two women protestors who stood in a Tehran street without wearing their compulsory headscarf.
They carried signs to call for freedom of choice for women, with one sign reading: "I love my hijab but I'm against compulsory hijab."
At least eleven women took part in the protests, which was even supported by some conservative Iranians.
Police have reportedly set a bail of more than 100,000 dollars for one of the detained women as Twitter users were quick to post photos and videos of the "brave" participants.
Islam, which is Iran's official religion, stipulates that wearing headscarves and modest clothing for women in public is obligatory.