Continuation of 'Serial Poisoning' Incidents | Illness of Schoolgirls in Ahvaz Following 'Inhalation' of Gas; Governorate: It's a Natural Incident

Following the continuation of a series of 'serial poisoning' incidents over the past year and the illness of schoolgirls in Ahvaz due to what is referred to as 'chemical attacks', the Khuzestan governorate has declared it a 'natural incident'. Abdollah Afrayzeh Shahavand, the political and social deputy of the Khuzestan governorate, stated in a televised interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting regarding the 'shortness of breath' and 'illness' of some Ahvazi schoolgirls: 'It was a completely natural incident.' He further claimed that the cause of the incident was 'a liquid that was supposed to be injected into the city gas, and this is the gas smell that citizens also inhale in their homes, which is harmless and not toxic.' On Saturday, November 4th, a number of students from the 'Kowsar' girls' school in Ahvaz became ill due to what Iranian official media called 'inhalation of an unpleasant odor' and were sent to the hospital for treatment. The political and social deputy of the Khuzestan governorate added that these 'illnesses' were, according to doctors, 'caused by the stress that the students are experiencing.' The serial poisoning of students in Iran, which mostly occurs in girls' schools, began in the fall of 2022 in cities like Qom and has since spread to various provinces. Over the past year, officials of the Islamic Republic have made contradictory statements regarding how to deal with the perpetrators of these serial poisonings, from announcing the arrest of hundreds in this regard to outright denial. The spread of these poisonings has also led to public protests; for instance, a group of protesters gathered on March 4th, 2023, in front of the education buildings and chanted 'Our enemy is right here; they lie that it's America.' Despite the significant public sensitivity regarding this case, no details about the names or possible affiliations of the suspects have been released by the Islamic Republic officials. However, the Tehran prosecutor's office had previously filed a legal case against Sadegh Zibakalam in relation to his criticism of the serial poisoning of schoolgirls. The continuation of serial poisoning incidents among students; 'chemical attack' on a girls' school in Iranshahr, poisoning and hospitalization of 67 students from a girls' vocational school in Zanjan, the Tehran prosecutor's office filed a complaint against Sadegh Zibakalam, two journalists, and a Telegram channel, four individuals accused of alcohol poisoning in Alborz province were sentenced to death.