Principal and Vice Principal Arrested After Unknown Individual Took Blood Samples from Students

The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, reported on Thursday, October 11, the arrest of the principal and vice principal of a school in Takestan where an unknown individual had visited and taken 'blood sugar tests' from girls. ISNA reported on Thursday morning the dismissal of the principal of a girls' school in Takestan. The agency states that families of the students gathered at the Takestan health center on Wednesday night. According to Mohammad Mobin, the acting governor of Takestan, the principal and vice principal of the Semnan school, which is affiliated with Azad University, were arrested 'for questioning and providing explanations regarding the suspicious blood sampling incident.' Mr. Mobin identified the suspect as a '17-year-old boy and student' without naming him. Earlier, ISNA quoted the governor of Takestan County as saying: 'The young man, whose membership was denied by the Red Crescent, took blood samples from the girls of the first cycle of secondary school at Semnan under the pretext of health screening, with the negligence of the school principal and without regard to relevant security laws and regulations.' He continued: 'Following specialized tests and vaccination of the students, no signs of illness were found in these students, and they are not threatened by any harm.' Meanwhile, Ali-Asghar Taherkhani, the head of the Takestan Education Department, reported the 'arrest of the offending individual.' According to Mr. Taherkhani, the principal of Semnan, 'who is from the Islamic Azad University,' was dismissed due to negligence 'in regard to managerial duties and unilateral actions concerning the visit of unknown individuals to the school... by order of the regional education department.' While reports indicated that the suspect had taken blood from the girls 'with a shared syringe,' the police chief of Takestan denied this news, stating that he himself was not infected with any contagious disease and 'no blood sampling occurred at all.' According to police official Rasoul Farahani, 'After the arrest and detention of the offending individual, tests were conducted to ensure his physical health, and it was determined that he had no viral diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, and is in complete health.' In this context, the state media reported that the accused had taken blood from '40 students.' The illegal blood tests from the girls in Takestan occurred on a day when news about the assault and staging regarding the cause of the death of Donya Veisi, a first-grade student from the village of Garmash in Sanandaj, was published, prompting the Sanandaj prosecutor to order an investigation by forensic medicine. Reports indicated that on Tuesday, Donya Veisi lost her life due to the collapse of a school wall. However, there were also reports of the possibility of assault against this young girl and staging of the incident.