close button
Switch to Iranwire Light?
It looks like you’re having trouble loading the content on this page. Switch to Iranwire Light instead.
News

Stink Bombs, Hysteria: Iranian Police’s Explanations For Schoolgirl Poisonings

March 15, 2023
2 min read
ranian students, mainly schoolgirls, say they have been sickened by noxious fumes in incidents dating back to late November 2022, causing anxiety and anger among Iranians
ranian students, mainly schoolgirls, say they have been sickened by noxious fumes in incidents dating back to late November 2022, causing anxiety and anger among Iranians
Police spokesman Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi announced on March 15 the arrest of 110 suspects and the confiscation of thousands of “stink bombs,” suggesting that at least some of the attacks on schools might have been copycat pranks
Police spokesman Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi announced on March 15 the arrest of 110 suspects and the confiscation of thousands of “stink bombs,” suggesting that at least some of the attacks on schools might have been copycat pranks

Iranian authorities claim to have made progress in identifying and arresting suspects related to a wave of sicknesses that have affected thousands of students across the country.

Police spokesman Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi announced on March 15 the arrest of 110 suspects and the confiscation of thousands of “stink bombs,” suggesting that at least some of the attacks on schools might have been copycat pranks.

Montazer Al-Mahdi also claimed that "the majority" of the poisonings were "not real” and were caused by psychological factors that triggered “fear and mental contagion" among students.

No previous reports have linked the use of stink bombs, which are sold across the world, to poisonings.

Al-Mahdi said two main importers of stink bombs were among those detained.

Iranian students, mainly schoolgirls, say they have been sickened by noxious fumes in incidents dating back to late November 2022, causing anxiety and anger among Iranians.

Hundreds of pupils have been hospitalized, according to local media reports and rights groups, but there have been no reported fatalities.

Some Iranians have suggested that the poisonings could be an attempt to force the closure of girls’ schools or a retaliation for students and women leading anti-government demonstrations that have swept Iran since September.

Iranian authorities have heavily restricted independent media and arrested dozens of journalists since the eruption of the anti-government protests. The Islamic Republic has also targeted reporters covering the poisonings in an attempt to control the narrative surrounding the incidents.

While Iranian political figures and activists have described the wave of poisonings as "chemical" and "biological" attacks, officials have only recently admitted there may be a problem.

Deputy Health Minister Saeed Karimi has said that 13,000 students were treated as of March 12 for symptoms that included nausea, headaches, coughing, breathing difficulties and heart palpitations.

A lawmaker on a government panel investigating the incidents recently said in a media interview that " some of the poisonings were caused by the use of naphthalene” and that “part of the problems was caused by the mischief of the students."

comments

Prisoners

Frenchman Jailed In Iran Writes To Raisi To Demand His Release

March 15, 2023
2 min read
Frenchman Jailed In Iran Writes To Raisi To Demand His Release