Those who poisoned schoolgirls deserve death, says Iranian leader

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme leader said Monday that if a series of suspected poisonings at girls’ schools was proven to be deliberate the culprits should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime”.

It was the first time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, has spoken publicly about the suspected poisonings, which began late last year and have sickened hundreds of children.

Iranian officials only acknowledged them in recent weeks and have provided no details on who may be behind the attacks or what chemicals — if any — have been used. Unlike neighbouring Afghanistan, Iran has no history of religious extremists targeting women’s education.

“If the poisoning of students is proven, those behind this crime should be sentenced to capital punishment and there will be no amnesty for them,” Mr Khamenei said, according to the staterun IRNA news agency.

Authorities have acknowledged suspected attacks at more than 50 schools across 21 of Iran’s 30 provinces since November.

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said over the weekend that “suspicious samples” had been gathered by investigators, without elaborating. He called on the public to remain calm and accused unnamed enemies of inciting fear to undermine the Islamic Republic.

Mr Vahidi said at least 52 schools had been affected by suspected poisonings, while Iranian media reports have put the number of schools at over 60. At least one boy’s school reportedly has been affected.

Videos of upset parents and schoolgirls in hospital emergency rooms with IVs in their arms have flooded social media.

Iran has imposed stringent restrictions on independent media since the outbreak of nationwide protests in September, making it difficult to determine the nature and scope of the suspected poisonings.

On Monday, Iranian media reported that authorities arrested a Qom-based journalist, Ali Pourtabatabaei, who had been regularly reporting on the suspected poisonings.