The World Briefly
July 03, 2023Suits and Countersuits
Iran
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A group of countries plans to bring Iran to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian International Airlines flight over Tehran that killed all 176 passengers on board, Al Jazeera reported.
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom jointly announced that they will refer the case to the United Nations’ top court after failing to reach an agreement with Iran on arbitration over the matter.
In January 2020, Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752 bound for Kyiv went down shortly after takeoff from Iran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The incident came as Iran’s military was firing missiles at American forces in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike on Baghdad airport.
The crash claimed the lives of all 176 people on board, including citizens and permanent residents of all four countries. Tehran said the accident was caused by “human error” in operating a surface-to-air defense system.
Following the downing, the four nations formed the “International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752” to seek accountability. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly confirmed the decision to take Iran to court, emphasizing the pursuit of transparency, accountability, and justice for the families affected.
The announcement came shortly after Iran filed a complaint against Canada at the ICJ, alleging violations of “international obligations” by allowing people to seek civil damages against Tehran.
Iran has asserted a breach of sovereign immunity, which generally protects states from civil lawsuits in foreign jurisdictions.
Last year, a Canadian court awarded $84 million to the families of six victims of Flight PS752, saying the incident was an “act of terrorism,” a label Iran rejected.
Tehran has previously said it would provide $150,000 to each victim’s family, as well as expressed readiness to engage in discussions with the countries affected by the crash.
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