Final Report on Student Poisoning Reasons Presented to Qalibaf; A Representative Claims Some Had 'Malicious Intent'

The group known as the "Fact-Finding Committee on Student Poisoning" announced on Sunday, June 11, that the "final report of the committee" has been completed and sent to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, for reading in the parliamentary session. According to Hamidreza Kazemi, a representative from Poldokhtar, the report aligns with the statements made by security and management officials in recent months. Kazemi stated, "To investigate this 'incident' in schools, we invited relevant agencies including education, security, health, and law enforcement to present their information to the parliament." He added, "After collecting oral and written reports, a final summary was made and the report was sent to the Speaker of the Parliament for reading in the public session." This parliament member further noted that through the collection of information from relevant agencies, "it became clear that in the case of the malaise and poisoning of students, some acted with malicious intent and used foul-smelling bombs available in the market." He also mentioned that "some aimed to close schools, while others engaged in childish actions regarding the poisoning of students; however, it was revealed that individuals were also behind some of the student poisonings, who were arrested after being identified by security agencies." In Esfand of the previous year, following widespread criticism from teachers' unions, parents, and the extensive media coverage of chemical attacks on students, especially in girls' schools, and the organization of protests both inside and outside Iran, Qalibaf ordered the formation of a special task force to address the issue of student poisoning. Kazemi's statements and his reference to the committee's "conclusions" come at a time when police and security officials have previously made similar statements. Meanwhile, reports have emerged regarding the arrest of several perpetrators of the attacks by these officials. However, some teachers' unions and human rights websites reported the detention of several students and the efforts of security agencies to extract confessions from them. Amid the ongoing chemical attacks on schools, widespread protests by educators took place on May 8 in 24 cities across Iran, protesting the serial poisoning of students and the inaction of the Islamic Republic officials regarding the chemical attacks with unknown gases on schools, while also emphasizing teachers' rights, resulting in the detention of several teachers' union activists. In this context, Narges Mohammadi, a jailed human rights activist, on May 2, in a message from prison that reached Voice of America, accused the Iranian government of being involved in the poisoning of students with chemical gases, comparing the Islamic Republic to the Taliban. She stated, "For months, schoolgirls have been poisoned with chemical gases in Iran," but "the government is preparing and supporting a policy that creates fear and prevents girls from going to school." The vice president and spokesperson of the imprisoned Defenders of Human Rights Center further likened the Islamic Republic to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which "seeks to deprive girls of their right to education," writing, "The Taliban announces this from the ministries' loudspeakers," while "the Islamic Republic pursues this goal with deceptive policies." Mohammadi's message was published a day after the leader of the Islamic Republic, in a speech on Teacher's Day, May 1, without mentioning the months of poisoning caused by attacks with unknown gases on schools, stated that "school is of significance" and "efforts should be made for students to be present in school." Meanwhile, with the increase in poisoning cases in Iranian schools, the Ministry of Interior threatened those who inform the public with legal action. Earlier, the Ham-Mihan newspaper reported on March 2 that "members of the medical staff were prohibited from informing about the poisonings." The report indicated that they "are reluctant to speak on this matter and are concerned about the consequences of informing and potential actions from hospital administrators." The report also emphasized that contrary to the health minister's statements attributing the poisonings to "a mild toxin," reports from hospitals indicate that the poisonings were "not so mild." Researchers and human rights groups have emphasized in recent months 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."