Families of Victims of Ukrainian Flight: We Will File Criminal and Legal Cases

The Association of Families of Victims of Flight PS752 announced on Wednesday, January 26, that they are forming a criminal and legal case with the Federal Police of Canada to complete the investigation into the downing of this flight. In their statement, the association noted, "Five years have passed since the crime on January 18, 2020, and the formation of the association of the victims' families, and to date," efforts such as referring the case to the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization have borne fruit. The Association of Families of Victims of Flight PS752 also emphasized that placing the IRGC on Canada's list of terrorist organizations, expelling Islamic Republic officials from the country, and filing complaints with the International Criminal Court have been other actions taken by the association over the past five years. On the fifth anniversary of the 'crime of shooting down the passenger plane,' the association stated that the families "will not cease their pursuit of justice" and that one day the perpetrators will be condemned and punished in an independent judiciary in Iran. The statement, released on Tuesday, January 18, during the fifth anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by IRGC missiles, stated: "One day justice will prevail in Iran. One day criminals will be condemned and punished in an independent judiciary in this country. We are determined and hopeful, and we will not retreat from seeking justice for our loved ones. Until that day, we will neither forget nor forgive the killers of Iran's children." The statement also recalled that "five years have passed since the downing of the passenger plane over Tehran airport" and the "missile attack" on its passengers, stating that "five years have passed since the crime of downing Flight PS752 by the IRGC and the killing of 176 people, including an unborn child," and during these years, "the case of this crime has been referred to the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization by four affected countries: Canada, the UK, Ukraine, and Sweden." The Association of Families of Victims of Flight PS752 expressed gratitude for the commitment of these governments to the survivors, stating: "Our expectation from this legal process is the clarification of the truth and the implementation of justice. In the coming months, we anticipate a response from ICAO and the convening of an initial meeting in The Hague, and we hope the path to truth-finding will be properly followed." The association also deemed the inclusion of the IRGC on the list of terrorist groups in Canada as "very important" and expressed hope that "other countries will follow the lead of the US and Canada in this matter." The association emphasized that "it is clear today, and it has been clear from the beginning that the Islamic Republic has no evidence of human error" and that "on the other hand, the increasing pressure from the Islamic Republic on the families of the victims around the world, especially in Iran, has intensified." The association also called for a "special examination of the case in The Hague considering the Islamic Republic's behavior towards the families" and for the opening of a criminal case in Canada by the Federal Police with the support of four countries for filing the case in the International Criminal Court. The association of Flight PS752 families also recalled the coincidence of the "anniversary of the premeditated murder of Baktash Abtin and the government-sanctioned killings of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini" with the IRGC's missile attack on the Ukrainian plane, emphasizing that "the decaying pillars of the Islamic Republic stand on the graves of thousands of victims whom we honor." The association stressed that "the pursuit of justice by the families of the flight, which is part of the larger movement for justice in Iran, can assist the Iranian people's movement to overcome this nightmare and achieve justice and freedom," as "our difficult path to justice continues, and we owe it to millions of free people who have stood with us in Iran and around the world." On the fifth anniversary of the downing of Flight PS752, which was carried out by IRGC missiles, the families of the victims identified Khamenei and senior officials of the Islamic Republic as the perpetrators of this crime. Flight PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines was shot down by two IRGC missiles less than three minutes after taking off from Tehran International Airport on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 passengers on board. After three days of denial, Iranian officials finally admitted to shooting down the plane but attributed it to "human error." On July 5, 2023, Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK requested the International Court of Justice to begin proceedings against the Islamic Republic regarding the downing of the Ukrainian plane, accusing the Iranian government of violating the Montreal Convention and the intentional downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane.