Iran revealed on
Tuesday that it had made the first arrests in connection with a string of
mysterious schoolgirl poisonings that have impacted more than 5,000 students
since late November.
Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, the supreme leader, demanded on Monday that those responsible for the
"unforgivable act" be apprehended "without mercy" as public
outrage grows.
In a statement
released on Tuesday, the interior ministry reported that "a number of
persons," including the parent of a student, had been detained in six
regions on suspicion of producing dangerous chemicals.
Majid Mirahmadi,
Iran's deputy interior minister, said on state television early on Tuesday that
numerous people had been detained by "intelligence agencies," and
"the competent agencies are conducting a complete investigation."
Since late November,
poisonings have affected dozens of Iranian schools, with students reporting
"unpleasant" odours on school grounds and experiencing symptoms
ranging from shortness of breath to nausea and dizziness. Some have received
hospital care.
"Twenty-five (out
of 31) provinces and around 230 schools have been hit, and more than 5,000
schoolgirls and boys poisoned," Mohammad-Hassan Asafari, a member of the
parliamentary fact-finding committee, told the ISNA news agency on Monday.
To determine the kind
and origin of the poisonings, various tests are being run. About the kind of
poison used, no particular information has yet been discovered.
The unexplained
poisonings have generated a surge of indignation and demands for action from
the authorities.
One of those arrested
had allegedly used their child to put the "irritant" into the school,
and then shot recordings of unwell students which were distributed to
"hostile media" to "cause terror... and close schools," the
statement added.
In addition, three
individuals have criminal histories that "include involvement in the
recent riots," as the Iranian government refers to the demonstrations that
followed Mahsa Amini's death in detention.
Amini, 22, who had
been detained for allegedly disobeying stringent dress codes for women, passed
away on September 16.
The interior and
intelligence ministries were instructed to provide regular updates on the
poisoning instances last week by President Ebrahim Raisi, who referred to them
as "the enemy's conspiracy to instill fear and despair" among the
populace.