Iran on Tuesday announced that it had made the first arrests in a spate of mystery poisonings of schoolgirls that has affected more than 5,000 students since late November last year.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday had called for the perpetrators of the “unforgivable crime” to be tracked down “without mercy.”
The Iranian Ministry of the Interior said in a statement on Tuesday that “a number of people” suspected of manufacturing hazardous substances had been arrested in six provinces.
Photo: AFP, SOURCE: ANONYMOUS / ESN
Iranian Deputy Minister of the Interior Majid Mirahmadi told state television earlier on Tuesday that the “intelligence agencies” had made several arrests “and the relevant agencies are conducting a full investigation.”
Scores of Iranian schools have been hit by poisonings, with students experiencing symptoms ranging from shortness of breath to nausea and vertigo after reporting “unpleasant” odors on school premises. Some were hospitalized.
“Twenty-five [out of 31] provinces and approximately 230 schools have been affected, and more than 5,000 schoolgirls and boys poisoned,” Mohammad-Hassan Asafari, a member of a parliamentary fact-finding committee, told the Iranian Students’ News Agency on Monday.
“Various tests are being carried out to identify the type and cause of the poisonings. So far, no specific information has been obtained regarding the type of poison used,” Asafari said.
The poisonings have triggered a wave of anger and demands for action from the authorities.
Arrests had been made in Khuzestan, West Azerbaijan, Fars, Kermanshah, Khorasan and Alborz provinces, the statement said.
One of those arrested had allegedly used their child to insert the “irritant” into the school, and then recorded videos of sick students, which were sent to “hostile media” to “create fear ... and close schools,” the statement said.
It added that three suspects have criminal records “including involvement in the recent riots,” a term used by Iranian authorities to describe protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody.
Amini, 22, had been arrested over an alleged contravention of dress rules for women and died on Sept. 16 last year.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last week tasked the interior and intelligence ministries with providing continuous updates on the poisoning cases, dubbing them “the enemy’s conspiracy to create fear and despair” among the people.
“In less than 5 percent of the students transferred to hospital, irritant materials were found which led to their ill-health,” the interior ministry said on Monday. “Fortunately, so far, no toxic or dangerous substances have been found in any of the students transferred to medical centers.”
Iranian Deputy Minister of Health Saeed Karimi said that symptoms included “respiratory irritation, stomachache, weakness and lethargy.”
“These inhaled irritants may not necessarily be a gas, but may be in the form of a powder or paste or even a liquid, which when poured over a heater or vaporized by heat can cause complications,” Karimi said.
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