Use of chemical gases against protesters in Iran

The ‘Iranian Physicians Information Center’ has written a letter to Ban Ki Moon, the U.N. secretary general asking the United Nations to act immediately in order to stop the use of destructive chemical gases agasint protesters by the anti-riot police of the regime. In this letter, while highlighting immediate and long term dangers of the use of this type of gases against protesters and ordinary citizens, and also the environmental dangers, a request has been made to send a group of experts to Iran to determine the dimensions of the use of these dangerous gases which are placed into tear gas canisters and shot towards protesters in the streets. These gases have become known as “fear gases”.

Honorable Secretary General of the United Nations

Mr. Ban Ki Moon

As you might have heard in the news in the past few days, the security forces have been using a new type of chemical gases against protesters in Iran. These gases are cause for great concern for me and my colleagues due to their destructive nature both for human beings and for the environment.

These gases come about as a result of experimentation by the Chemical and Biological Weapns Center of Iran during the eight year war with Iraq. They were first used in the streets as an experiment during 2009 street protests. Their use was limited at the time. But in recent days and especially on February 14th and February 20th street demonstrations they were heavily used against Iranian people in the streets.

It is true that use of regular tear gases consisting of Sulfur, converted to Sulfuric Acid after release and creating burns in the eyes and nasal areas is also an inhumane and inappropriate act. But because of it’s short half-life, these gases are not too worrisome. But newer chemical gases in addition to tear gas, have added ingredients of chlorobenzaldoxim nitril that create fear in the victims and cause ‘yellow rain’. They also contain nerve gases like Sarin and Souman. These contain phosphorous and are poisonous and in some cases cause severe symptoms in the victims including dizziness, chest pains, severe headaches, dual and loss of vision, exhaustion, nausea, blood vomiting, intestinal pains and excess mouth saliva and severe muscle pains. In many cases the blood tests performed by our colleagues on the victims traces of Pheninalin, Nitrate, and Sulfur have been detected in their blood streams. They can also have long term carcenogic and cancer producing effects on humans. Also because of the long half-life of these chemicals when rain washes these chemicals away from the streets into the farm lands that use surface water, other horrifying effects will be produced.

Our collegeaus in clinics and emergency centers have noticed that despite the fact that several days have gone by since February 14th, the effects of these gases have not diminished on several victims and we are following the symptoms with concern. Many victims have been complaining of vomiting blood, nausea and severe muscle pains on social networks like twitter and facebook. This reaffirms the use of these chemical gases on a wide scale across the country.

According to the 1925 Geneva Convention to which Iran is also a signatory, the use of chemical and biological warfare is illegal and especiall because these weapons are being used in the streets and public places where thoussands of children, men and women reside who might not even be part of the protests.

Therefore based upon your responsibilities as a U.N. General Secretary on the anniversary of the use of chemical weapons by Iraqi regime in 1988 against the people of Helebcheh, I am requesting that you take immediate action to stop the use of chemical gases. If needed we are asking please send a group of experts to evaluate the effects of these gases on people and on the environment.

Doctor Mohammad-Kazem Attari

CEO of Iranian Physicians Information Center

Translation by Tour Irani