Iranian leader calls suspected poisoning of schoolgirls ‘unforgivable’, warns no amnesty for perpetrators

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday (March 6) addressed the reports of the suspected poisoning of schoolgirls in Tehran and called the incidents an “unforgivable” crime. This was the first time he had acknowledged the matter since the poisoning allegedly began late last year and has since affected hundreds.

According to state media reports and officials more than 1,000 girls from different schools across the country have suffered “mild poison” attacks since November. “Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students' poisoning,” said Khamenei, on state TV, as per Reuters. He added, “If it is proven deliberate, those perpetrators of this unforgivable crime should be sentenced to capital punishment and there will be no amnesty for them.”

Even Iranian officials only recently began to only acknowledge such incidents in recent weeks. The Iranian leader’s remarks also come days after more Iranian girls were hospitalised over suspected poisoning over the weekend amid growing concerns over their safety across the country.

According to Iranian media reports, more than 60 schools across ten provinces have reported that girls are falling mysteriously ill including one boy’s school. However, the number of schools has varied across media outlets. Meanwhile, officials have said more than 50 schools across 21 of Iran’s 30 provinces have reported these suspected attacks since November.

Over the weekend, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that “suspicious samples” had been collected by investigators and said some 52 schools had been affected by suspected poisonings. However, he did not elaborate any further and said that they were being studied and urged the public to remain calm.

“In field studies, suspicious samples have been found, which are being investigated...to identify the causes of the students' illness, and the results will be published as soon as possible,” said Vahidi as per Iran’s official IRNA news agency. This comes after parents reportedly took to the streets in the Iranian capital city of Tehran to protest the possible cases of poisoning, on Saturday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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