(Tehran) The trial of ten soldiers in the case of the crash of a Ukrainian airliner shot down “by mistake” in January 2020 near the Iranian capital opened Sunday in Tehran, announced the Judicial Authority in a press release.
“Chaired by Judge Ebrahim Mehranfar, the trial of the crash of flight PS752 has opened at the military court of the province of Tehran,” said the official agency of the Judicial Authority, Mizan Online.
On January 8, 2020, Iranian armed forces shot down the Boeing operating Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 between Tehran and Kiev shortly after takeoff.
They did not recognize him until three days later, saying they had shot down the aircraft “by mistake”.
The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Canadians, many of whom were dual nationals.
PHOTO EBRAHIM NOROOZI, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
The Iranian Civil Aviation Authority claimed that the misadjustment of an anti-aircraft unit’s radar was the main “human error” behind the disaster.
“Ten defendants of different ranks were present in court,” said Mizan Online, without further details.
According to the same source, “103 people have filed a complaint with the prosecution.”
They demand “an impartial investigation […] to identify and prosecute those responsible “and the” identification of factors that have disrupted the search for the truth “, according to the representative of the Prosecutor, quoted by the agency.
On the day of the crash, Iran’s air defenses were on high alert for fear of a US attack.
Iran then expected retaliation from Washington for attacking a base used by the US military in Iraq, in response to the elimination in Baghdad of General Qassem Soleimani, architect of Iran’s regional strategy.
The Iranian Civil Aviation Authority claimed that the misadjustment of an anti-aircraft unit radar was the main “human error” behind the disaster.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, ARCHIVES THE PRESS
Canada, which lost 55 nationals and 30 permanent residents in the accident, reaffirmed in October 2020 its commitment to “work tirelessly so that the families of the victims can get the answers they deserve”.
At the end of 2020, Iran had said it wanted to pay “150,000 dollars or the equivalent in euros” to each of the families of the 176 victims of the crash.
Canada, which lost 55 nationals and 30 permanent residents in the accident, reaffirmed in October 2020 its commitment to “work tirelessly so that the families of the victims can get the answers they deserve”.