Families of Ukrainian Flight Victims Protest No-Prosecution Order

Families of victims of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attack on a Ukrainian aircraft consider the Islamic Republic’s judiciary decision a “acquittal of criminals.” The Association of Families of Those Killed in the Missile Attack has called for punishment of the perpetrators of the deadly attack in a statement.

Tehran’s Military Court issued a notice of non-prosecution of several Iranian government institutions and officials in connection with the air defense missile attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the Ukrainian passenger flight “PS752.”

This notice was submitted to the families of those killed in the attack. According to this notice, prosecution by the Islamic Republic’s government, the Supreme National Security Council, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the integrated air defense network, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, and Iran’s civil aviation organization has been prohibited.

The notice also mentioned the cessation of legal prosecution of Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Guard Corps, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force, and Ali Abedzadeh, former head of the civil aviation organization.

In a statement by the Association of Families of the Deceased, the issuance of the non-prosecution order for these institutions and individuals was described as an escape from accountability and failure to identify the principal perpetrators.

In the Tehran Military Court’s notice, the names of several captains, first lieutenants, and majors of the Guard Corps were mentioned as the principal perpetrators of this attack who should be punished for “negligence,” “omission,” and “recklessness.”

Response to Tehran Military Court’s Notice

The statement states that this notice is being issued 600 days after the “mass killing” of the aforementioned flight.

The statement was written in response to the issuance of the judicial body’s notice: “As you witnessed, the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, which operates under the command of this regime’s leader, acquitted the guilty and principal perpetrators, including the Supreme National Security Council for leaving the airspace open and using innocent people as human shields, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its senior officials for firing at least two missiles at a passenger airliner, government officials for complicity in concealing the crime, and Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while placing blame only on a handful of junior officers.”

The statement further noted that the Iranian government has provided “nothing but lies and deception” as explanation for its crime over the past 20 months.

The Association of Families of Those Killed in the Missile Attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Air Defense considers the Islamic Republic’s judiciary’s statements to be in obvious contradiction with the report of Canada’s investigation team.

The statement calls on the governments of Canada, Ukraine, Britain, and Sweden to respond to the issuance of this notice. The aforementioned association concluded its statement by calling for the establishment of an impartial international court to investigate this “mass killing.”

Source: DW