Hijab row: Crisis over ‘poisoning’ cases deepens

Dubai, March 5

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A crisis over suspected poisonings targeting Iranian schoolgirls escalated on Sunday as authorities acknowledged over 50 schools were struck in a wave of possible cases.

It remains unclear who or what is responsible since the alleged poisonings began in November. Reports now suggest schools across 21 of Iran’s 30 provinces have seen suspected cases. The attacks have raised fears that other girls could be poisoned apparently just for going to school.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Saturday said that investigators had recovered “suspicious samples”, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Vahidi said at least 52 schools had been affected by suspected poisonings.

Making sense of the crisis remains challenging, given that nearly 100 journalists have been detained by Iran since the start of protests in September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. — AP