Poisoning in schools… Parents protested
According to images shared on social networks, a group of parents gathered in front of Tehran’s 5th Regional Directorate of National Education demanded the safety of their children, who are at risk of poisoning in schools.
It was seen that the security forces did not interfere with the parents chanting slogans against the authorities. It has been reported that the country’s teachers will also stage protests in front of the Parliament building in Tehran and in front of the National Education Directorates in various cities on March 7.
In assessing the poisoning cases, Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi blamed his country’s enemies for the poisoning of hundreds of students in at least 30 schools across the country. “Today, with the advance of the country, hostilities have increased, the latest example of this is the attempt to create an environment of insecurity in schools and anxiety in families. Those who attack the psychology of society with this excuse do not think about the health of students and their families, their goal is to provoke rebellion and chaos in the country under any pretext.”
“ENEMIES CAN MANAGE”
Mehdi Ismaili, a member of the Parliamentary Education Committee, told the Cameran website that the issue has become a national security issue, saying: “Months have passed since the start of these strange and painful events, but still no its origin despite investigations by ministers, various committees and other institutions in parliament”.
Ismaili said: “Enemies may have directed these events, but the Ministry of Health must report the reason for these poisonings from a technical point of view.” Separately, according to local media reports, some female students were poisoned today at a girls’ school in Tehran’s Melard district. No details were given in the news and it was said that an explanation from the corresponding authorities was expected.
Cases of mass poisoning in schools in Iran since November 30, 2022 draw attention. It is claimed that more than 1000 students were poisoned in approximately 100 days in the provinces of Kum, Loristan, Tehran, Ardebil, Kermanshah, Simnan, Mazenderan, Cheharmahal and Bakhtiari, Elburz and Rezevi Khorasan. Students present with symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, headache, and numbness in the extremities.
CAN BE INCLUDED
Yunus Penahi, Iran’s deputy education and education minister, stated that they assessed the poisoning of the students as intentional, saying, “It has been determined that some people want all schools to be closed, especially those for girls.” Health Minister Bahram Aynullahi said in his February 28 statement that hundreds of girls were affected in different schools and some politicians suggested that some extremist groups opposed to girls’ education might be behind the incident.
The President of the Republic appointed Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi, Intelligence Minister İsmail Hatib and Health Minister Bahram Aynullahi on March 1 to investigate the alleged poisoning incidents. (AA)