Iran leader: Those who poisoned schoolgirls deserve death

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader says that if a series of suspected poisonings at girls’ schools is proven to be deliberate, the culprits should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all matters of state, and Monday was the first time he spoke publicly about the suspected poisonings. The incidents began late last year and have reportedly 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 neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no history of religious extremists targeting women’s education.