Canada: Iran’s Airspace Remains Unsafe Until It Tells the Truth About Ukrainian Plane
Ralph Goodale, special advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stated on Thursday, June 20, that as long as Iran refuses to disclose all facts regarding the downing of the Ukrainian aircraft, the country’s airspace will remain unsafe.
Ralph Goodale told the Parliament’s Transportation Committee that, in his view, Canada should raise this issue at every meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in other UN agencies, and through every channel and means available.
Ukrainian aircraft with flight number PS752 was shot down on January 8, 2020, after being struck by at least two air defense missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. All 176 passengers and crew on board, most of whom were Iranian and Iranian-Canadian dual nationals, were killed. Citizens (including dual nationals) from Afghanistan, Britain, Germany, Sweden, and Ukraine also died in the incident.
The Islamic Republic initially denied downing the flight, but after evidence and documents were released by the United States, Australia, Canada, and Britain, it eventually admitted under international pressure that the aircraft was shot down by missiles from the Guard’s defense system, though it claimed the incident was due to “human error.”
Ralph Goodale, appointed by Justin Trudeau as Canada’s special advisor regarding Ukrainian flight 752, also stated that Iran has been attempting to evade responsibility and mislead since day one.
Canada’s Prime Minister’s Special Advisor added that the world must take this seriously. There is no reason to believe that Tehran’s airspace today is safer than it was in January 2020.
Ralph Goodale also described Iran’s aviation report on the downing of the passenger aircraft as tardy, “symbolic,” and devoid of any evidence.
Canada’s Prime Minister’s Special Advisor further stated that Iran should have closed its airspace on January 8 and warned commercial aircraft about the conflict.
He added that Iran has granted itself a kind of immunity, refusing to accept responsibility for its deadly actions, and showing no sign of remorse in its conduct.
Ralph Goodale emphasized, “Yes, the families of victims should be angry, and the entire international community should be angry too. We have not been told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And without that, no one can and should feel safe flying over Iran’s dangerous skies.”
Last week, Canada, Britain, Sweden, and Ukraine, forming a group led by Canada, issued a joint statement calling on Iran to begin formal negotiations regarding compensation to the families of the Ukrainian aircraft victims, declaring that the Islamic Republic must fulfill its legal obligations in this matter.
These countries emphasized in their joint statement that the two missiles Iran fired at the passenger aircraft, as well as Iran’s “negligence” in preparing the relevant report, constitute “violations of international law.”
In response to the release of this statement, Manouchehr Moradi, Iran’s Ambassador to Ukraine, on Friday, June 5, in a series of tweets indicating Iran’s readiness to hold the next round of talks, stated that in these “negotiations, he will only answer remaining and non-repetitive questions within the framework of Iran’s laws and regulations.”
Hamed Esmaeilion, spokesman for the Flight 752 Family Association, in response to statements by Iran’s Ambassador to Ukraine saying “the group of four countries is not recognized and we will not negotiate,” tweeted: “Dare to formally announce it. You know you don’t have the courage.”
Source: Radio Farda
