March
8, 2023
The
U.N. cultural agency has expressed concern about the suspected poisoning of
thousands of schoolgirls across Iran and called for investigations
DUBAI,
United Arab Emirates -- The U.N. cultural agency on Wednesday expressed concern
about the suspected poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls across Iran and
called for investigations.
Thousands
of students across hundreds of mostly girls' schools have reported being
sickened by toxic fumes in incidents going back to November. There have been no
fatalities.
It
remains unclear what chemical might have been used, if any. No one has claimed
the attacks and authorities have not identified any suspects. Unlike
neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no history of religious extremists targeting
girls' education.
UNESCO
“urges thorough investigations and immediate actions to protect schools and
facilitate the return of affected students,” the agency tweeted.
“I
am deeply concerned about the reported poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran over
the past three months. This is a violation of their right to safe education,”
UNESCO head Audrey Azoulay said.
Iranian
officials say they are investigating the incidents, and Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for anyone found responsible to be severely
punished.
But
authorities have also further tightened restrictions on independent media,
arresting journalists, activists and others for speaking about the alleged
poisonings. That has made it difficult to determine the scope and nature of the
crisis.
Iran
was already heavily restricting media amid waves of anti-government protests in
recent months that were sparked by the September death of a young woman who was
detained by the morality police. Iran's clerical rulers force women to dress
conservatively and cover their hair in public but have never objected to
women's and girls' education.
Some
Iranian officials have suggested, without evidence, that the protests and the
allegations of poisoning are part of a foreign conspiracy to foment unrest.
Videos circulated online appeared to show teachers protesting over the
suspected poisonings in several cities on Tuesday.
Iran’s
Interior Ministry meanwhile announced arrests in six provinces linked to the
suspected poisonings. But its statement focused on an individual accused of
making a video that was sent to “hostile media” and said three others were
active in recent protests.
Iran
has described some of the alleged poisonings as episodes of “hysteria.”
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 was found to support the suspicions, and WHO said it
appeared to be a “mass psychogenic illness.”
Iran announces arrests in poisoning of schoolgirls
March
7, 2023
Iranian
officials said Tuesday people have been arrested in five provinces in
connection to a series of mysterious poisonings targeting schoolgirls.
Deputy
Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi said "a number of people" have been
arrested and that agencies were conducting investigations into the poisonings.
State-run Iran media said the poisoning has affected 1,200 Iranian schoolgirls
since November, but one lawmaker put the actual number at 5,000.
The
numbers rose dramatically over the weekend with students describing unexplained
odors that smelled like paint in one instance, perfume in another and something
burning at another location.
The
girls said they experienced numbness, temporary paralysis or near blackouts
after noticing the smells.
In
the meantime, Iran's judiciary charged three news media outlets and three
individuals, including actor Reza Kianian, for making comments on the
illnesses, accusing them of "spreading rumors and lies."
Prosecutors
said cases were filed against the editorial directors of the HamMihan, Roydad24
and Sharq newspapers, political activists Azar Mansouri and Kianian.
The
first report of the poisonings came in November, with 18 students hospitalized
after suffering symptoms that included nausea, headaches, coughing, breathing
difficulties, heart palpitations and numbness and pain in their hands or legs.
Iran's
supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and others have called it poisoning but
the cause is still being investigated.
Protesters
demonstrated against the poisonings in Tehran on Saturday amid reports that
dozens more students were hospitalized.
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