The bereaved families of the victims of Flight PS752 will mark three years since the tragedy on Sunday by participating in rallies planned in 12 major Canadian cities, as well as in 26 countries around the world.
In Canada, rallies will be held coast to coast — from Vancouver to Saint John — to commemorate the incident on January 8, 2020, where 176 people died when the Iranian military shot down a Ukrainian International Airlines company.
The plane, which was heading for Canada, crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran airport.
On Sunday, the biggest event will begin at 11 a.m. in Toronto, where a visit to the art gallery and an official ceremony organized by the Association of the Families of the Victims of Flight PS752 are planned.
In the afternoon, several federal ministers will attend a private ceremony, which will include a speech by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The event will conclude with a candlelight vigil in Mel Lastman Square, located not far from the ceremony site.
In addition to serving as tributes to the victims of the tragedy, these rallies will also aim to push Ottawa to adopt a stronger position towards Iran.
On December 28, Canada joined other countries in beginning the process to bring Flight PS752 to the International Court of Justice. The purpose of this procedure is to force Iran to compensate the families of the victims.
Some observers argue, however, that this process should have been started earlier and that the RCMP should have launched a criminal investigation while Ottawa was negotiating with Tehran.
Prime Minister Trudeau also met with members of the bereaved families on Friday and assured that Ottawa would fight tirelessly for truth and justice.