More than 800 girls poisoned in Iran to provoke school closures
Protests against these poisonings are growing. Iranian authorities confirmed that, at the moment, there haven't been any casualties and announced they are launching an investigation into the matter.
Protestas en Irán / Cordon Press
Iranian authorities are investigating an incident in which underage schoolgirls were poisoned with toxic gas back in November 2022. So far, no deaths have been reported but, of the more than 800 poisoned, dozens of them have had to be hospitalized for respiratory and stomach problems, dizziness, and fatigue.
These attacks occurred mainly in the city of Qom, near Tehran. It is believed that the attacks were carried out to force schools to close in the more radical sectors that support the Islamist regime. The first wave of poisonings took place on November 30: 18 female students from the Nour Technical School had to be hospitalized for poisoning.
Apart from Qom, more than 200 girls were poisoned in schools throughout the cities of Borujerd and Pardis. Since then, there have been several protests in front of schools as shown in the following video.
Last week, Mohamad Jafar Montazeri, Iran's Prosecutor General, announced that an investigation will be opened into the matter to clear up the facts, although initial indications indicate "criminal and premeditated acts." The National Police headquarters did not confirm any arrests and "they are trying to address the fears of citizens."
These poisonings are a new way of oppressing women and girls. Iran's former Vice President for Women's and Family Affairs, Massoumeh Ebtekar, condemned the attacks which she said are done on purpose to prevent girls from attending school or working:
Theories about poisonings
While the cause of these poisonings is still under investigation, the BBC has several theories about the origin of the poisonings. Many people believe it is due to the massive protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in September of last year. There is speculation that these poisonings are a form of "revenge" against those who protested against the Iranian Islamist regime and the morality police.
Others theorize that the motive is to provoke fear among parents so that they will not take their daughters to school. Poisonings are a practice carried out by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria.
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