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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat

EU Resolution Demanding Probe into Poisoning Incidents Angers Iran's Foreign Ministry

Representatives of the European Parliament participate in a previous session (EPA)

The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly criticized the European Parliament resolution to demand an international investigation into the poisoning of schools in dozens of Iranian cities.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani expressed his surprise at the position of the European Parliament, adding that, unfortunately, the EU Parliament has turned into a platform for "suspicious and extremist figures with the aim of spewing hate against the people of Iran and for the Iranophobic project."

The spokesman added that senior officials in Iran strongly condemned this inhumane act, and ordered a comprehensive investigation into the issue, demanding the identification of the perpetrators.

On Thursday, the European Parliament called on the United Nations to investigate the poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls in Iran, condemning the regime's months-long failure to act on and deliberate suppression of credible reports of systematic toxic attacks against schoolgirls.

Members of the European Parliament overwhelmingly endorsed a non-binding resolution urging the Human Rights Council to launch an investigation into the facts and calling "for those responsible to be held to account."

The resolution called on the Iranian authorities to grant full access to the UN IIFFM and the UN Special Rapporteur on the country's human rights situation.

State media and officials reported that 13,000 schoolchildren, primarily girls, have fallen ill after what are believed to be "poisonings."

Some politicians accused religious groups that oppose girls' education.

Reports of poisonings emerged two months after the protest began after the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, after the morality police arrested her.

Last week, the Interior Ministry said that more than 100 people had been detained across 11 provinces on suspicion of taking part in the recent poisonings.

Authorities arrested the suspects and launched an investigation.

The Ministry said that among those arrested were people and students aiming to close the schools and create skepticism towards the state.

The Human Rights Committee of the Iranian judiciary said in a report that less than 10 percent of the female students were infected with an irritant of dangerous and non-lethal war gases.

Judiciary Spokesman Masoud Setayeshi criticized the description of the attacks as "poisoning," saying it was better to use a term that describes the deterioration in health or "fatigue."

He indicated that poisoning must have determined symptoms identified by the specialized laboratories.

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