Intentional poisoning of female students in schools has continued with even greater intensity since the Nowruz holiday ended. Chemical attacks on girls’ schools resumed after the Iran Nowruz holidays.
According to the general director of security and disciplinary affairs of the Governorate of Ardabil, some 400 students have been urgently transferred to the hospital. Students in more than 10 girls’ schools in Ardabil were poisoned before noon on Saturday, April 8, 2023, with symptoms of nausea and vomiting. (The state-run Sharq news network – April 8, 2023)
The head of the Medical Emergencies of Ardabil Province also reported that at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, they had been contacted by five girls’ schools in Ardabil where a number of their students had symptoms of anxiety, short breath, and headache. They were transferred to the hospital for treatment.
The families of these students held protests outside their daughters’ schools and chanted anti-government slogans.
On Saturday, April 8, 2023, Maziar Moulai, head of the Health Network of Haftkel County, Khuzestan Province, reported that 60 students from Hajar School in Haftkel, 20 of whom had been transferred to hospital for treatment. This is the second time Hajar school has experienced a chemical attack. (The state-run Khabarfori website – April 8, 2023)
In Ahvaz, eight female students at Sahar Girls’ High School were hospitalized due to poisoning.
Meanwhile, the deputy for treatment of the Jondishapur Medical Sciences University of Ahvaz reported that the students of two girls’ schools in Haftkel and Ahvaz had been poisoned. (The state-run Hamshahrionline.ir – April 8, 2023)
On the same day, two girls’ schools, Parvin Etesami and Bint Al Huda, in Divandarreh, Kurdistan Province, were targeted by chemical attacks, resulting in the poisoning of 15 students who were transferred to the hospital. Families of the poisoned students held an anti-government protest gathering outside the hospital.
Additionally, there were reports of poisoning of the students of two girls’ schools in Naghadeh (West Azaerbaijan), the students of Saadi Primary School in Urmia, and 20 students of Khayyam School for Girls in Pardis (Tehran Province), who had been poisoned by poisonous gas.
Earlier chemical attacks on girls’ schools
The Director of the Department of Education in Qazvin Province reported that a number of students had been poisoned in Alumtak girls’ school in Qazvin on Wednesday, April 5, and they were transferred to the hospital. (The state-run ILNA news agency – April 5, 2023)
On the same day, Wednesday, April 5, seven students from Salamat Girls’ School in Qom were poisoned and sent to the hospital. (The state-run Baharnews.ir – April 5)
The students of Esteghlal School for Girls in Kohenjan, Sarvestan (Fars Province), Zhila Moqbel School in Sanandaj (Kurdistan Province), and Hazrat Mahdi School for Girls in Piranshahr (West Azerbaijan Province) were targets of chemical attacks.
The head of the Emergency Department of East Azerbaijan Province reported the poisoning of 35 students in Maragheh schools and 60 students in Ajab Shir after chemical attacks on their schools on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (The state-run ISNA news agency – April 6, 2023)
On Tuesday, April 4, around 50 students were poisoned in one of the schools of Naghadeh, the general director of the Department of Education of West Azerbaijan province reported. They were hospitalized.
The head of pre-hospital care in East Azerbaijan reported the poisoning of 20 female students in a girls’ school in the Baghmisheh district of Tabriz. These students experienced shortness of breath on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, and were transferred to Sina Hospital. (The state-run ILNA news agency – April 4, 2023)
Similarly, eight female students at Sahar Girls’ high school in Dolat Abad district, Isfahan, experienced poisoning symptoms and were transferred to Imam Reza Hospital for treatment. (The state-run ROKNA website, April 4, 2023)
In another incident on the first day of school reopening, five female students in Naqadeh, West Azerbaijan province, also fell victim to poisoning.
Five students were transferred to Imam Hospital on Monday, April 3, 2022, following the poisoning incident at the 22 Bahman girls’ school in Mohammad Yar, Naqadeh.
Officials continue to cover up, downplay the severity
Despite five months that have passed since the start of chemical attacks on girls’ schools, the clerical regime’s officials are making conflicting statements and attempting to justify, cover-up, and downplay the chemical attacks on girls’ schools throughout the country.
Hamid Kazemi, the head of the Fact-finding Working Group on students’ poisoning, made an impertinent statement in the parliament about the chemical attacks, stating, “Some students are naughty and do mischievous things. School defense mechanisms must be established to prevent such incidents.” (The state-run Etemadonline.ir – April 7, 2023)
Earlier, Yahya Ebrahimi told the mullahs’ parliament about covering up this heinous crime. He admitted, “We were not honest with our people regarding the poisonings. We concealed them. 245 schools in 26 provinces were affected. This is happening only in girls’ schools. Therefore, they have a specific target, and they are pursuing a specific goal by doing this.”
Saeed Karimi, the Deputy Minister of Health, reported that 13,000 poisoned students had been referred to medical centers for treatment centers until March 13. (The state-run Mashreq website, March 13, 2023)
