Global Courant 2023-05-02 12:04:05
Activists from the Norwegian human rights organization Hengaw reported on Monday, May 1, new cases of poisoning in girls’ schools in Iran.
The cases are reported to have occurred in the capital Tehran and in the Kurdistan region, which has been gripped by protests in recent months.
In the hometown of Jina Mahsa Amini, whose killing sparked nationwide protests in Iran, security forces are also said to have used violence against schoolgirls.
Initially, there was no official information regarding these incidents in Iran, where there has been unrest for about five months without interruption.
Across Iran, schoolgirls have received hospital treatment and doctors say it is gas poisoning. Thousands of suspected cases have been officially registered by the authorities.
Some parents have withdrawn their children from schools because of concerns for their safety. The international organization for human rights, Amnesty International, called these incidents a “coordinated campaign”.
On Friday, Iran’s intelligence service released a final report on the poisonings, concluding that there is no organized network of perpetrators. The Secret Service argues that it is a case of nationwide mass hysteria.
The intelligence service’s report states that the tests carried out found mainly traces of pepper spray or stink bombs, as opposed to more serious toxic substances. The parents and relatives of the victims accused the authorities of failing to protect the children.
Protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody have sparked the biggest political crisis in decades in Tehran. Critics say the poisonings are revenge for the demonstrations. /REL
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