- More than 1,000 schoolgirls poisoned in Iran
- Supreme Leader Says Offenders Deserve Death Penalty
- Poisoning sparks passions after months of protests
DUBAI, March 6 (Portal) – Iran’s top leader said on Monday that poisoning schoolgirls was an “unforgivable” crime, punishable by death if intentional, state television reported amid public anger over a wave alleged attacks in schools.
Over 1,000 girls have been poisoned since November, according to state media and officials, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls’ education.
The poisonings come at a critical time for Iran’s spiritual rulers after months of protests since the death of a young woman who was being held by police for flouting hijab rules.
“The authorities should seriously pursue the problem of poisoning of students,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television. “If it is found to be premeditated, the perpetrators of this unforgivable crime should be sentenced to the death penalty.”
The poisonings began in November in the holy Shia Muslim city of Qom and have spread to 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, prompting some parents to withdraw children from school and protest.
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Authorities have accused the Islamic Republic’s “enemies” of using the attacks to undermine the clerical establishment. But suspicion has fallen on hardline groups acting as self-proclaimed guardians of their interpretation of Islam.
“GIRLS PAY THE PRICE”
In 2014, people took to the streets of Isfahan city after a wave of acid attacks apparently aimed at terrorizing women who flouted the strict Islamic dress code.
For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, schoolgirls have joined the protests that have spread after Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody.
Some activists have accused the facility of revenge poisoning.
“Now Iranian girls are paying the price for fighting the mandatory hijab (veil) and have been poisoned by the clerical establishment,” New York-based leading Iranian activist Masih Alinejad tweeted.
Fearing new protests, authorities have downplayed the poisoning. A judicial inquiry is ongoing, although details of the findings have not yet been released.
At least one boys’ school was also attacked in the city of Boroujerd, state media reported.
Additional reporting by Elwely Elwelly Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Arrangement by Toby Chopra and Andrew Cawthorne
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