Ajit Karn
Tehran: Since late November, a series of poisonings that have primarily targeted female students have affected over 5000 Iranian schoolchildren, according to a lawmaker investigating the cases.
The mysterious poisonings have captivated Iran, sparking a surge of outrage and calls for action from the government.
They have also sparked international concern and Western calls for an independent investigation, especially since the first cases were reported shortly after the start of nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, whose arrest for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women led to her death.
Numerous schools have been affected, with students reporting symptoms varying from shortness of breath to nausea and vertigo due to “unpleasant” odours on school grounds. Some have been hospitalised for treatment.
Mohammad-Hassan Asafari, a member of the parliamentary fact-finding committee, told the ISNA news agency on Monday, “Twenty-five provinces and approximately 230 schools were afflicted, and more than 5,000 schoolgirls and boys were poisoned.”
“Various investigations are being conducted to determine the nature and origin of the poisonings. To date, no specific information regarding the used poison has been obtained.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the paramount leader of Iran, called the poisonings a “unpardonable crime” on Monday and ordered that the perpetrators be traced down “without mercy.”
Last week, President Ebrahim Raisi tasked the interior ministry with providing ongoing investigation updates.
“In less than five percent of students transferred to the hospital, irritant materials were discovered that contributed to their ill health,” the ministry reported in its most recent update on Monday.
“To date, none of the students transferred to medical centres have tested positive for toxic or hazardous substances.
The most recent incident, as reported by the ISNA news agency, involved forty female students in the volatile southeastern city of Zahedan.
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On Monday, the White House demanded a “credible independent investigation” into the poisonings.
Late in November, a month after the Mahsa Amini protests that extended to universities and colleges, the first cases were reported in Qom, the Shiite clerical capital of Iran.
The Mizan Online website of the Iranian judiciary reported on Tuesday that Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi warned “those who disseminate falsehoods and rumours” about the poisonings that “they will be dealt with decisively and legally.”
