Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated publicly that if the recent series of mysterious poisonings at girls’ schools are proven to be deliberate, those responsible should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime.”
Iranian officials have recently acknowledged these attacks, which began late last year and have affected hundreds of children but have provided no details about who might be behind them or what chemicals have been used. Reports suggest that at least 400 schoolchildren have fallen ill since November.
Some politicians have blamed religious groups opposed to girls’ education.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, has said that “suspicious samples” have been gathered by investigators, but he has not provided any further details. Videos of upset parents and schoolgirls in emergency rooms have flooded social media. Iran has imposed stringent restrictions on independent media since the outbreak of nationwide protests in September, making it difficult to determine the nature and scope of the suspected poisonings.
On Monday, Iranian media reported that authorities arrested a Qom-based journalist, Ali Pourtabatabaei, who regularly reported the suspected poisonings.
The children affected in the poisonings have reportedly complained of headaches, heart palpitations, lethargy, or otherwise unable to move. Some described smelling tangerines, chlorine or cleaning agents. Reports suggest at least 400 schoolchildren have fallen ill since November.
Vahidi, the interior minister, said in his statement that two girls remain in the hospital because of underlying chronic conditions. There have been no reported fatalities.
The mystery surrounding the poisonings has sparked concern from UN bodies abroad and triggered a wave of anger across the country, with demands for action from the authorities. Education Minister Yousef Nouri apologized on Sunday on state TV for the incidents, declaring that “we fully understand the parents’ concerns and are following up on the issue seriously.”
During a meeting with Nouri in Qom, Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli called officials to “solve the problem as quickly as possible… to reassure the nation.”
The World Health Organization documented a similar phenomenon in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, when hundreds of girls across the country complained of strange smells and poisoning. No evidence supported the suspicions, and the WHO said it appeared to be “mass psychogenic illnesses.”
»Iranian officials acknowledged schoolgirls attack«
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