Canadian court awards $84 million to families of 2020 Iran plane crash victims

A Canian court has awarded $84 million to families of six people who were killed when Iranian forces shot down a Ukraine International Airlines flight near Tehran in 2020. According to BBC, families’ attorney Mark Arnold said that y were awarded compensation by Ontario's Superior Court of Justice for loss of spouses, siblings, children, nieces and nephews aboard Flight 752. On Monday, he announced judgement by Justice Edward Belobaba and vowed to go after Iranian assets in Cana and abro. 

Iranian forces h shot down Flight PS752 after it took off from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8, 2020. attack killed all 176 people on board, including 55 Canian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Following incident, Iranian government blamed it on “human error”, saying that plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” in a “disastrous mistake”. 

relatives of victims h n filed a civil lawsuit against Iran and or officials who y believe were to blame for incident. Toger, group pushed for answers and accountability under banner of International Coordination and Response Group. y even accused Iran of showing “no interest” in hering to its international legal obligations. 

Iran plane crash 

In a report, a special Canian forensic team last year accused Tehran of "incompetence and recklessness" over downing of a Ukrainian International Airlines flight. In response, Iranian officials criticised report as “highly politicised”. Now, this is first time that compensation has been awarded to families of victims. 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that downing of plane came in aftermath of US forces killing Iranian General Qassem Suleimani in a missile strike at Baghd International Airport in January 2020. Following incident, Iranian authorities initially denied responsibility for incident. However, as evidence mounted, Tehran said that an air defence unit h mistaken Boeing 737-800 for a US missile. 

(Image: Twitter/AP)