Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says there is no doubt the poisonings are deliberate as the top judge suggests perpetrators may face execution
\n Tehran, Iran
\nIran\u2019s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for the perpetrators of schoolgirl poisonings to be punished as attacks spread across the country.
\nSpeaking on the sidelines of an annual tree-planting ceremony on Monday, Khamenei said the poisonings are a \u201cmajor and unforgivable crime\u201d and the perpetrators must face the \u201charshest punishment\u201d for incidents that have spread fear among parents and throughout Iranian society.
\n\u201cIf there are people who have a hand in this \u2013 and there are those that undoubtedly do in some way \u2013 then responsible organisations, including intelligence and law enforcement, need to find the origin of this crime,\u201d he said.
\nKhamenei offered no clue as to who or what groups may be behind the poisonings.
\nShortly after Khamenei\u2019s comments, Iran\u2019s judiciary chief promised the courts will act swiftly and suggested those responsible would face the death penalty.
\n\u201cBased on the definition that the law has, the perpetrators are undoubtedly guilty of \u2018corruption on earth\u2019,\u201d said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, referencing a formal charge the Iranian judiciary uses that carries a death sentence.
\nDeliberate attempts
\nThe first case of schoolgirls showing poisoning symptoms occurred in the religiously significant city of Qom in late November with dozens of girls taken to the hospital. Many similar cases continued to take place in primary and secondary schools there before spreading to the capital Tehran and at least two other cities at the start of March.
\nThe attacks increased over the past week across Iran after the issue received increasing media attention inside and outside Iran, and a health official said the poisonings were deliberate attempts at keeping girls from going to school.
\nAuthorities have not provided any figures, but numerous incidents likely affecting several thousand students have been reported.
\nThe incidents bear the same hallmarks, mostly affecting schoolgirls who experience symptoms including shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, and numbness of the limbs. Some victims reported smelling strange odours such as rotten fruit, strong perfumes or a burning smell. Most cases have not been severe, but many students have had to be hospitalised.
\nThe interior ministry said in a statement last week it found \u201csuspicious samples\u201d at the schools and investigation results will be announced at a later date.
\nThe driver of a truck carrying chemicals that was seen near several affected schools has been arrested, state television said last week. But no other arrests have been confirmed and authorities have not provided a definitive explanation of the poisonings.
\nLocal media reported on Sunday that Ali Pourtabatabaei, a journalist covering news in Qom who was following up on the attacks, has been arrested. Authorities have not commented on his arrest.
\nKhamenei\u2019s comments could potentially put an end to a wide variety of reasons provided by some officials, lawmakers and media outlets for the poisonings, including speculation of \u201cmass hysteria\u201d.
\nThe supreme leader, however, did not discuss whether the poisonings originated from inside or outside the country \u2013 something senior officials have commented on.
\nPresident Ebrahim Raisi has blamed a \u201cconspiracy\u201d by the foreign enemies of the Islamic Republic.
\nHe has not named any countries, but Iran has regularly accused Western powers and Israel of being behind unrest within its borders, including months of protests that spread across Iran last September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says there is no doubt the poisonings are deliberate as the top judge suggests perpetrators may face execution Tehran, Iran Iran\u2019s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for the perpetrators of schoolgirl poisonings to be punished as attacks spread across the country. Speaking on the sidelines of an annual tree-planting ceremony […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-317907","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n