PS752 crash: Iran faces ultimatum over reparations for downed plane
Iran has until Jan. 5, 2022 to confirm whether it is willing to engage in negotiations with the group representing the victims of Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752, which was downed by Iranian air defense missiles in early 2020, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 16.
The group–the International Coordination and Response Group (Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine)–will have to seriously consider other actions to resolve this matter if Tehran refuses to negotiate, the ministry’s statement reads.
The ministry said Iran had been sent repeated requests to discuss matters pertaining to demands for reparations for the downing of PS752.
A further request has been sent to Iran for talks on the issue during the week of Jan. 17, 2022, the ministry said.
“However, due to the apparent reluctance of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address this matter in a constructive and timely manner, (the Iranians have) until Jan. 5, 2022 to confirm whether they are willing to engage in negotiations with the coordination group, after which we will have to assume that further attempts to negotiate reparations with Iran are futile,” the ministry statement reads.
“The coordination group will have to seriously consider other actions to resolve this matter within the framework of international law,” the statement goes on.
PS752 downing near Tehran
Kyiv-bound passenger flight PS752, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukraine International Airlines, was shot down in Iran on Jan. 8, 2020, shortly after takeoff from Tehran International Airport.
All 176 people on board, including 11 Ukrainian nationals – nine crew and two passengers – were killed.
Most of the victims were citizens of Iran and Canada.
Three days later, Iran officially admitted that the Ukrainian aircraft had been shot down as a result of unintentional “human error.”
Data from the aircraft’s flight recorders released in July 2020 confirmed that the aircraft had crashed after being hit by two anti-aircraft missiles.
According to the report, the first missile caused significant damage to the aircraft, but its engines remained running and the pilots tried to control its flight. However, the second missile totally destroyed the aircraft.
Iran insists that the plane crash was purely a mistake by an air defense controller.
Ukraine has rejected Iran’s claims and demanded admission to the investigation, and reparations.
Iranian authorities have charged 10 Iranian officials with being responsible for PS752’s downing.
However, Tehran still refuses to disclose their names and positions.
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