Downing of Ukrainian Plane | Narges Mohammadi: No Punishment for Criminals; Abdolhamid: Justice Not Served

In response to the fourth anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by the IRGC's missiles, Narges Mohammadi described it as a "crime" without "punishment for the criminals" and accompanied by "suppression of the seekers of justice." Political prisoner Narges Mohammadi, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, stated in a message published on her Instagram account on January 9, 2024, that the anniversary of January 8, 2020, is a reminder of the killing of innocent people by the military forces of the IRGC. She called the incident of the IRGC shooting down the Ukrainian passenger plane, which resulted in the death of all its occupants, a "crime" that not only had no punishment for the criminals but was also accompanied by the suppression of those seeking justice. According to Narges Mohammadi, "The seekers of justice for this horrific incident have given a new life and energy to the resilient and living movement for justice; meaning saving society and the history of this land from the oblivion of oppression, which has weakened the foundations of tyranny and oppression and made justice more fruitful." Additionally, Molavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, emphasized in a message on the fourth anniversary of the incident that the death of dozens of innocent passengers of the Ukrainian plane was a painful and unforgettable event. Abdolhamid Esmailzahi stated in a message published on his social media account that "only the implementation of justice and impartial investigation would have comforted the survivors, which unfortunately has not been realized so far." On Monday, a memorial ceremony for the victims of the downing of the Ukrainian plane by the IRGC was held in Shahidshahr, Tehran, the site of the plane's downing, while government forces prevented citizens from attending and joining the families of the victims. Previously, Prince Reza Pahlavi referred to the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane as a "terrorist crime" and stated that those responsible and the "first accused, Ali Khamenei," would not escape justice. Hamed Esmaeilioun, a member of the PS752 Families Association, stated on the fourth anniversary of the incident that "my wife and daughter are among the thousands and millions of Iranians who lost their lives," and told VOA, "I have accepted that they will not return. What remains is this path [of seeking justice], and from the first day, I vowed to myself that I would continue this path for as long as possible. I will not turn back from this path, and we will not turn back from this path." Mehrzad Zarei, the father of Arad Zarei, a teenager killed in this incident, emphasized that he sees no difference in crimes such as the November 2019 protests, the downing of the Ukrainian plane, the University dormitory incident, and the "national uprising" of 2022, stating to VOA's Persian section, "I see no difference between the dear ones who were killed, and for this reason, the only and smallest thing I can do is to be the voice of those who are silent and have been subjected to oppression, crime, and murder and have been forced into silence by security pressures in the Islamic Republic." The Ukrainian passenger plane with 176 passengers was shot down by the IRGC with two missiles in the early hours of January 8, 2020. Iranian officials lied about the nature of the incident for three days and eventually admitted it after undeniable evidence emerged. After this incident, no official resigned, and Iranian officials attributed the entire crime to the human error of airport defense operators, and subsequently held a relatively lengthy trial that the families of the victims considered to be a sham and nominal, resulting in only a few years of imprisonment for some of the accused. On the other hand, the families of the 176 deceased passengers of the Ukrainian plane have filed lawsuits against Iranian officials in international courts. Canada continues to pursue the case of the downing of the Ukrainian plane by the IRGC.