AP — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has ordered an investigation into claims by a mill workers representative that he was tortured while in detention.

Hessamoddin Ashena , an adviser to Rouhani, wrote on his Telegram account that the president ordered a probe into the claim of violence against Esmail Bakhshi.

Earlier on Friday, Bakhshi, a representative of workers of a sugar cane mill in southwestern Iran, wrote on his Instagram page that he was beaten and tortured when he was in detention for nearly a month in November.

Iran detained four workers including Bakhshi when they protested not having been paid their salaries for months.

Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months.