Continuation of 'Chemical Attacks' on Schools in Iran One Day After Intelligence Ministry Report

One day after the publication of a report by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence regarding the causes of poisoning in schools, attributing the reasons to 'mischief' and 'feigning', chemical attacks on several educational centers continued on Saturday. Reports circulating on social media indicate that students at the Abrar Girls' Technical School were targeted for the second time. On April 29, students at this technical school were also attacked. Additionally, on May 9, a chemical attack occurred at the 'Sama4' Girls' High School in the Pasdaran area of Tehran. Reports shared on social media show that school officials refrained from showing footage from security cameras, citing 'firecrackers' as the reason. Other images of a chemical attack on the Mahdizadeh-Nia Girls' Technical School in Qasemabad, Mashhad, have also been shared on social media, showing a number of parents gathering in protest against the poisonings there. This technical school had also been attacked a few days earlier. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, in a report published about six months after the first poisoning incident, categorized the causes of poisoning into five groups: foul-smelling bombs, tear gas and pepper spray, creating panic by foul-smelling agents in or around the school environment, using these methods for 'anti-security and anti-people' purposes, and collective fear. While this statement claims that the first report of poisoning was on November 15, 2022, from Noor County in Mazandaran Province, Iranian media previously recorded the first incident on December 9 at the Noor Girls' Technical School in Qom. The Ministry of Intelligence claims that 'a small number were hospitalized due to anxiety', while reports indicate that several students and some school staff were hospitalized due to their deteriorating condition. The Ministry's statement presents 'mischief, playfulness, and feigning' by students as the causes of the recent poisonings. Meanwhile, on April 20, Mehrdad Weis-Kormi, a member of the Education Commission of the Parliament, reported the arrest of 100 individuals in connection with the student poisonings, stating that some individuals acted 'deliberately' or aimed to 'shut down girls' schools'. The Ministry of Intelligence also claimed, without releasing details of tests and investigations, that 'no toxic substances were spread in any of the schools.' Iranian officials have made various statements over the past few months regarding the causes and types of poisonings in schools. In Esfand, the Deputy of Treatment at Qom University of Medical Sciences reported examining laboratory samples and stated that initial findings confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide in several schools. This was also confirmed by the head of the Education Commission of the Parliament. Alireza Monadi stated that this result was obtained after reviews by 30 specialists from the Ministry of Health. Dr. Mehdi Mir-Saeidi, a pulmonary disease specialist and a member of the 'Toxicology Group of Mahsa Medical', previously explained to Voice of America that nitrogen gas is present in the air, and everyone breathes it daily without causing poisoning. This pulmonary disease specialist emphasized that the way to diagnose the type of poison is to examine its components in blood, urine, and bodily secretions, as well as related enzymes in toxicology laboratories. Additionally, see: Interview with specialists regarding serial poisonings; the Islamic Republic publishes 'false information'. Numbness, headaches, shortness of breath, and dizziness are among the reported symptoms in poisoned students. Several doctors, considering these symptoms, have attributed the poisonings to mixed gases. Many point out that gases that cause neurological symptoms in individuals are not readily available to the public. On March 15, a member of the fact-finding committee investigating the student poisonings reported that 5,000 individuals had been poisoned up to that date, and the Deputy Minister of Health also stated that the main substance in the attacks might be solid rather than gas. With the increase in poisoning cases in Iranian schools, the Ministry of Interior threatened those who inform the media with legal action. The 'Ham-Mihan' newspaper reported on March 13 that medical staff members were prohibited from informing about the poisonings. The report stated that they were reluctant to speak on the matter and were concerned about the repercussions of informing and potential actions from hospital managers. This report also emphasized that contrary to the Health Minister's statements that 'a mild type of poison' was the cause of the poisonings, reports from hospitals indicated that the poisonings were not 'that mild' either. Except for a few boys' schools, most poisonings occurred in girls' schools, predominantly public ones, and mostly targeted middle and high school levels. The Ministry of Intelligence, in its report, linked 'collective fear' to the short average stay of patients in clinics, the hospitalization of 'a small number' due to anxiety, and the involvement of 'a handful' of school staff. Researchers, human rights groups, and several countries have emphasized that 'independent investigations' are necessary to find the cause of the poisonings, and conducting such investigations requires 'access to health data, which is often protected under security in Iran'. The Ministry of Intelligence's report on the causes of poisonings: 'Jokes, feigning, and anti-security objectives'. The continuation of chemical attacks on schools; the Iran Human Rights Campaign criticized the behavior of the Islamic Republic. A new bipartisan group in the US Congress condemned the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran. Amnesty International: The purpose of the chemical attacks is likely to punish girls protesting mandatory hijab.