Iran’s supreme leader has said anyone responsible for alleged poisonings in girls’ schools should be executed for an “unforgivable crime”.
More than 1,000 children have fallen ill since November in 25 of the country’s 31 provinces, according to officials and state media.
“If the poisoning of students is proven, the perpetrators of this crime should be given capital punishment and there will be no amnesty for them,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by the agency. IRNA official press.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said over the weekend that “suspicious samples” had been taken but urged people to remain calm.
He said at least 52 schools across the country had been affected and claimed that anonymous enemies of the republic were trying to instill fear.
At least one boys’ school in the western town of Borujerd was also affected, state media reported.
No details were given on what chemicals might have been used or who might be responsible, but officials said test results would be released “as soon as possible”.
Photos of girls wearing oxygen masks and hooked up to IV drips have sparked protests in some cities, including the capital Tehran, with anger also directed at IranRevolutionary Guards.
Affected children reportedly complained of heart palpitations, dizziness, headaches, lethargy and an inability to move – but so far no one has died.
Some have described the smell of tangerine, chlorine, or cleaning products.
Schoolgirls were among those who took part in the wave of anti-government protests last year following the death in police custody of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Some were photographed removing their headscarves, tearing up photos of the Ayatollah and calling for his death.
It has been suggested that the apparent poisonings could be a form of revenge for this activism or a more general attack on girls’ education.
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The United Nations human rights office in Geneva has called for a transparent investigation into the alleged attacks, with countries including Germany and the United States expressing concern.
A similar case of suspected poisoning – involving girls in Afghanistan – was reported between 2009 and 2012, but the World Health Organization (WHO) found no evidence and said it was ” mass psychogenic diseases”.
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Iranian media also reported on Monday that Ali Pourtabatabaei, a Qom-based journalist who regularly covered the case, had been arrested.
It comes after the radical newspaper Kayhan called for the arrest of editors who published articles critical of Iran’s leaders.
