MONTREAL: Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and Britain on Monday filed a complaint with the United Nations civil aviation agency against Iran over a 2020 plane crash that killed 176 people.
In a joint statement, the four countries — which all had citizens aboard the flight — accused Tehran of “using weapons against a civil aircraft in flight in breach of its international legal obligations.”
Four years to the day after the tragedy, the countries have opened “dispute settlement proceedings” with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the filing was “an important step in our commitment to ensuring that the families of the victims impacted by this tragedy get the justice they deserve.”
The ICAO did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.
All 176 people aboard the Ukraine International Airlines flight — mostly Canadians and Iranians — were killed when the Boeing 737-800 was downed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020.
Three days later, Iran admitted that its military had targeted the Kyiv-bound plane with two surface-to-air missiles by mistake.
The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization has pointed in a report to the “alertness” of its troops on the ground, who shot the missiles amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States at the time.
“For four years now, Iran has refused to take full legal responsibility for the downing of Flight PS752 despite our numerous attempts to engage in negotiations on this matter,” Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and Britain said in the statement.
In July, the multi-nation group appealed their case to the International Court of Justice, seeking reparations from Iran for the victims’ families.
Countries file UN complaint over 2020 flight downed by Iran
https://arab.news/55nnm
Countries file UN complaint over 2020 flight downed by Iran
- Four years to the day after the tragedy, the countries have opened “dispute settlement proceedings” with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal
Australia charges teenager over alleged death threats to Israeli President Herzog
- Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Herzog would receive standard security arrangements given to all visiting foreign leaders
SYDNEY: An Australian teenager has been charged for allegedly making online death threats against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, ahead of his upcoming visit to Australia.
The 19-year-old man allegedly made the threats on a social media platform last month “toward a foreign head of state and internationally protected person,” the Australian Federal Police said in a statement.
The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
Police did not name the intended target of the alleged threats, but Australian media widely reported they were directed at Herzog. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper also reported the teenager allegedly made threats against US President Donald Trump.
He was refused police bail and will appear before a court in Sydney on Thursday. Police said a mobile phone and equipment for making or using drugs were seized during a search at a home in Sydney on Wednesday.
President Herzog is due to arrive in Australia on Sunday for a five-day visit, following an invitation by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in December.
He is expected to meet survivors and the families of the victims of the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi beach on December 14 at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, which killed 15 people.
Herzog’s visit has drawn opposition from pro-Palestine groups, with protests planned in major Australian cities.
Police in the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, on Tuesday extended restrictions on protests in parts of the city ahead of Herzog’s visit, citing “significant animosity” from some groups.
The Palestine Action Group has called on supporters to attend a rally in Sydney on Monday, urging people to march to the New South Wales state parliament in what is described as a “mass, peaceful gathering.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Herzog would receive standard security arrangements given to all visiting foreign leaders.
“He will be a welcomed and honored guest,” Marles told ABC News on Thursday.
