Canada finds no evidence that downing of Ukrainian jet by Iran was 'premeditated'

Over a year after the tragic downing of a Ukrainian jet that killed 176 passengers, Canada on June 24 released a government report stating that it found no evidence it was “premeditated” but held Iran “fully responsible.” Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was hit by two missiles shortly after takeoff in Tehran on January 8, 2020, and led to the death of all passengers on board. Out of 176 victims of the incident, at least 138 passengers on the doomed plane had ties to Canada along with other citizens or residents of the UK, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sweden. 

Canada on Thursday said that the blame lies with Iran’s “civilian and military authorities” even as it acknowledged that an air defence unit operator “likely acted on his own in making the decision to launch the missiles.” The Canadian government released the report following the conclusion of an eight-month forensic investigation and noted that the January 2020 incident would have been avoided if it was not for the "incompetence, recklessness, and wanton disregard for human life" of Iranian officials.

The joint statement by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau, and the Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said, “The report highlights the Iranian authorities’ recklessness, incompetence, and wanton disregard for human life. It also concludes that Iran’s official account of events is disingenuous, misleading, and superficial, and deliberately ignores key factors. This confirms Canada’s view that Iran’s actions and omissions in relation to Flight PS752 amount to violations of its obligations under international law.”

Iran’s anti-aircraft systems on ‘high alert’

The probe also found that even though the Iranian anti-aircraft missiles were on ‘high alert,’ the authorities did not close its airspace or notify the airlines who were operating at the same time. Garneau has also said that a missile operator made “a series of extremely flawed decisions that could have and should have been avoided.” He also noted the unhurried command and control by the Iranian military to address the failures and taking the needful measures to prevent the incident in future.

Canadian government stated, “Iranian authorities positioned anti-aircraft systems on high alert near a civilian airport, without implementing basic protections like closing the airspace over Tehran or notifying airlines. All planes flying into or out of Tehran’s airport that night were at risk, including four civilian flights that took off immediately before Flight PS752.”

“The families and loved ones of the victims deserve a full explanation of Iran’s dangerous and deliberate choice to keep its airspace open, and a full accounting of the Iranian military’s training and command and control procedures for anti-aircraft operations. Iran has not addressed the numerous deficiencies the Forensic Team has identified,” it added.

Canada’s report came months after a United Nations (UN) human rights expert said that high-level officials of the Islamic Republic should be charged for the downing of Ukrainian jet. The UN official described the killing of all 176 passengers aboard the Boeing 737-800 that was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran as a “profound and serious indictment” of the country’s civil and military authorities. 

A 45-page letter was also delivered to the Iranian government by Agnès Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Callamard and Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran have raised concerns in the aftermath of the deadly shooting that Tehran admitted to being a ‘mistake’. “The inconsistencies in the official explanations seem designed to create a maximum of confusion and a minimum of clarity. They seem contrived to mislead and bewilder," Callamard wrote. 

IMAGE: AP