Message from the Association of Families of Flight 752 Victims to the Islamic Republic: A Killer Cannot Be a Mourner

The association of families of those who died in Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 issued a statement on the eve of the anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian aircraft, announcing that the Iranian government is attempting to obtain satisfaction from families through increased pressure for compensation and to monopolize the commemoration ceremonies of the victims.

At the beginning of this statement, which was published on Tuesday, December 2, on the association’s Twitter page, it stated: “A killer cannot be a mourner. The Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have killed our families mercilessly.”

Another section of the statement noted that government officials are attempting to inject their preferred narrative into international society and “throw dirt on their crimes.”

The families of the deceased, stating that the Iranian government has attempted over the past year to “seize” everything from the burial site to the funeral and commemoration ceremonies of the 176 victims of the Ukrainian aircraft, say that government pressure on the bereaved has increased on the eve of the anniversary of this “unforgivable crime.”

The Ukrainian aircraft with flight number PS752 was shot down on the 18th of Dey last year by the firing of at least two air defense missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and all 176 passengers on board were killed, including citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Britain, and Afghanistan.

Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have stated that the reason for this action was “human error.” This is while the governments of Canada and Ukraine have consistently said that Iran has not fulfilled its promises regarding full accountability and is not providing the necessary cooperation to clarify the “truth.”

The recent statement also referenced “rumors” about “the presence of (families of) Ukrainian deceased in Tehran.”

The association of families of the deceased also emphasized that “families are aware and will not sign any document” aimed at obtaining satisfaction and receiving compensation, adding: The Islamic Republic has no right to hold any ceremonies for the deceased.

Further in this statement, the families of the victims have asked the officials of the Islamic Republic to, instead of such conduct, “introduce the killers to the people and international society” and “explain why this crime was committed.”

Yesterday, Saeed Khatibzadeh, while harshly criticizing Canada’s positions in pursuing the case of the Ukrainian aircraft downing, accused the country of interfering in Iran’s affairs and political behavior, saying Canada is trying to prevent the natural process of clarifying the matter.

Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in his latest remarks, said he does not believe the downing of the Ukrainian aircraft with missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps around Tehran was due to “human error.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, in response, also accused the Canadian government of wanting to “trade” with the grief of the families of victims of the Ukrainian aircraft downing and to use this issue to its advantage in the Canadian domestic political arena.

Source: Radio Farda