Protesters rally across North America on the third anniversary of Iran’s downing of Flight PS752

CNN
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Protesters across North America gathered on Sunday to mark the third anniversary of Iran’s downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) and demand justice for the victims and their families. their family.

The Boeing 737 bound for Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board. The Iranian authorities admit that the Aerospace Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot the wrong plane after it was misidentified by an air defense operator as a cruise missile.

Of the dead, 138 were traveling to Canada, according to CBC. Among the victims were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, 4 Afghans, 3 Germans and 3 Britons.

Protesters gather on Sunday in Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; City of San Diego, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and other cities across the United States. They also gather in Canadian cities, including Toronto, Kingston, Halifax and Regina. Globally, protests have been held in Australia, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Germany and other countries.

The protests are organized by PS752 Flight Victim Family Association, an international group seeking justice for those killed. “We are determined to expose the truth and find out why a commercial flight was shot down by an IRGC missile. We will resolutely seek justice until the perpetrators, perpetrators and commanders of this heinous crime are identified and brought to justice before an impartial and independent court,” the association said. on its website. website.

On January 10, 2020, the then President of Iran was Hassan Rouhani tweeted that an internal investigation concluded the crash was caused by “human error” after the missile was fired at the PS752. “Investigations continue to identify and prosecute this great tragedy and unforgivable mistake,” he said.

During Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting, incumbent President Ebrahim Raisi commemorated those killed on flight PS752 and said the investigation into the tragedy was ongoing, according to the state newspaper. Daily Hamshahri.

However, the families of the victims said they did not believe Iran would bring justice on its own.

In December, a coalition of four countries – Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK – called on Iran to submit to binding arbitration over a dispute related to the downing of Flight PS752. The coalition, known as the International Coordination and Response Group, wants “a complete, transparent and credible explanation of the downing.”

Hamed Esmaeilion, a dentist in Toronto who heads the association for victims of the loss of his wife and daughter on board the PS752, says he hopes the union will succeed. “The families of the victims are often not at the forefront of decision-making and this is a big problem,” he told CNN. Esmaeilion said only governments can successfully hold Iran accountable for its actions.

Iran has six months from the time of filing to respond to the request for arbitration, according to a report from Global Affairs Canada outlines the international legal protocol on the matter. “At the end of these six months, which cannot be extended, the four governments can formally refer the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague,” Esmaeilion said in a statement. videotapes posted to the PS752 Flight Families Association Instagram page.

Esmaeilion recently teamed up with Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Babak Payami to document his quest for justice in the film “752 is not a number”. Payami told CNN it provides a “window into the monument of injustice and inhumanity perpetuated in Iran by the Islamic Republic’s regime”.

Esmaeilion said he hopes Sunday’s protests will advance the fight for justice.

Speaking to a group of protesters gathered at the grave site of his wife and daughter, Esmaeilion said: “This file will be registered in The Hague, this crime will be reviewed by members of The Hague and we I still hope that this trial will be held with caution. Free Iran. We will fight for that day, and we will neither forget nor forgive.”