The International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 will take additional steps in the coming months to seek accountability from Iran through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said, quoted by Ukrinform, BTA reported.
The ministry stressed that on this day five years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran killed 176 people on a plane of the airline "Ukraine International Airlines" in Iranian airspace. Iran has grossly violated numerous norms of international law: it used weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight, failed to take all necessary measures to prevent the tragedy, and failed to ensure a transparent and objective investigation or proper criminal prosecution of those responsible.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences to all relatives and friends of the victims of flight PS752 and assured that it would continue to make efforts to achieve justice and bring the guilty to justice.
The ministry recalled that a year ago, the International Coordination and Response Group, including Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, initiated proceedings in the ICAO Council against Iran for violations of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
"This procedure is ongoing, and the next steps of the Coordination Group to hold Iran accountable before the ICAO Council will be taken in the coming months," the statement emphasized. "Impunity for past crimes encourages Iran and Russia to commit new and persistent violations of international law. That is why achieving justice is of utmost importance," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also noted.
Finally, Kiev called on the international community to join forces in the name of world peace and security, including the safety of international civil aviation, to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
As reported, on January 8, 2020, a plane of the airline "Ukraine International Airlines", performing flight PS752 from Tehran to Kiev, was shot down in Iranian airspace by an anti-aircraft missile system. All 176 people on board died, including citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom. Among the victims were 11 Ukrainians (nine crew members and two passengers). After several days of denial, Iranian authorities admitted that the Ukrainian plane was mistakenly shot down by an air defense system, Ukrinform recalls.