The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the wave of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls in recent months an ‘unforgivable crime’.
‘If there are any people involved in the matter, and there certainly are… the perpetrators must be given the most severe of punishments,’ he warned.
No fewer than 1,000 girls at dozens of schools have been affected by unexplained illnesses since November.
Incidents were reported in at least 15 cities and towns on Sunday alone.
Authorities have released very little information about their investigations and announced no arrests, but they have accused Iran’s ‘enemies’ of using the suspected poisonings to undermine the clerical establishment.
Some Iranians believe the girls’ schools are being targeted by hard-line elements to stop them receiving an education.
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Others suggest the authorities may be punishing girls for their leading role in the nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in September.
The first incidence was recorded on November 30 at a school in the revered Shia city of Qom, when 18 schoolgirls became unwell and were transported to the hospital.
Since then, 127 schools have been impacted across 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to a count by the reformist news source Etemad Online.
Before getting sick, some students claim they smelt rotten fish or tangerines. Several people have experienced weariness, nausea, disorientation, and respiratory issues.
In his first public comments on the matter Ayatollah Khamenei called on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ‘seriously pursue the issue’.
‘The poisonings are a grave and unforgivable crime,’ he declared during a speech at a tree-planting event in Tehran, adding that there would be ‘no pardons’ if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted.
Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei meanwhile warned that they could face the charge of “corruption on earth”, which is punishable by death.