Canada’s Justin Trudeau urges Iran to give ‘complete’ explanation a year after downing of Ukraine plane
- Trudeau said 138 of the 176 passengers aboard the Ukrainian Boeing had ties to Canada
- The plane was also carrying Afghan, British, Iranian, Swedish and Ukrainian nationals
Canada will not accept “anything less than a comprehensive and honest explanation” from Iran on what led its military to mistakenly shoot down a Ukrainian passenger plane a year ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
In a statement on the one-year anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 near Tehran, which killed all 176 people aboard, Trudeau called for “transparency, accountability, and justice” for the families of the victims of the air disaster.
Trudeau said 138 passengers aboard the Ukrainian Boeing had ties to Canada. The plane, which was shot down minutes after taking off from Tehran en route to Kiev, was also carrying Afghan, British, Iranian, Swedish and Ukrainian nationals.
“We continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation into the cause of this tragedy, and to hold Iran accountable, including by ensuring that Iran makes full reparations for the victims of PS752 and their grieving families, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” Trudeau said.
Canada is also working to establish best practices to prevent and respond to any future air disasters if they occur, including by providing better support to the families of victims, Trudeau said.
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Ukrainian experts examine plane crash site in Tehran
Ottawa has also led the development of a global Safer Skies Initiative to better protect passengers from the risk of flying in or near conflict zones, he added.