Message from the Association of Families of Flight 752 Victims to the Islamic Republic: The Killer Cannot Be the One to Mourn
The Association of Families of Flight PS 752 Victims issued a statement on the eve of the anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian plane, stating that the Iranian government is trying to pressure the families to accept compensation and to confiscate the victims' memorial services.
The statement, which was published on the association's Twitter page on Tuesday, January 16, begins: "The murderer cannot be the one to mourn. The Islamic Republic and the Revolutionary Guard Corps have mercilessly killed our families."
Another part of the statement states that government officials are trying to impose their preferred narrative on the international community and "cover up their crimes."
The families of the victims say that the Iranian government has tried to "usurp" the burial site, funeral and memorial services of the 176 victims of the Ukrainian plane crash over the past year, and say that the government's pressure on the survivors has increased on the eve of the anniversary of this "unforgivable crime."
Ukrainian airliner PS 752 was shot down by at least two missiles fired by the Revolutionary Guards on January 8, 2019, killing all 176 people on board, including citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Britain, and Afghanistan.
Officials in 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 cooperating to clarify the “truth.”
The recent statement also referred to "rumors" about the "presence of Ukrainian families (of the deceased) in Tehran."
The Association of Families of the Deceased also emphasizes that "the families are vigilant and will not sign any document" that would indicate consent and receiving compensation, adding: "The Islamic Republic does not have the right to hold any ceremonies for the deceased."
In the statement, the families of the victims called on the Islamic Republic's authorities to "introduce the murderers to the people and the international community" and "explain why they committed this crime," instead of such behavior.
Yesterday, Saeed Khatibzadeh strongly criticized Canada's positions in pursuing the case of the downing of the Ukrainian plane, accusing the country of interfering in Iranian affairs and political behavior, and said that Canada is trying to prevent the natural path of clarification of the matter from taking place.
Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has said in his latest statement that he does not believe the downing of the Ukrainian plane by the Revolutionary Guards' missiles near Tehran was caused by "human error."
In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also accused the Canadian government of wanting to "trade" with the grief of the families of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash and use this issue to its advantage in Canada's domestic political environment.
Source: Radio Farda
