Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Trials in Iran over Downing of Flight PS752 Sham

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reacted to the first verdict of the Iranian judiciary in the case of the downed Boeing of Ukraine International Airlines (Flight PS752) over Tehran in January 2020. Diplomats called this trial sham.

“On 8 January 2020, the Islamic Republic of Iran callously shot down Flight PS752 over Tehran. This week Iran announced the verdicts in the criminal trials against the alleged perpetrators. The sham trials that took place in Tehran must not distract the world from Iran’s failure to meet its international obligations and take responsibility for its actions. Neither the trials nor the verdicts announced this week bring truth or justice to the families of the victims, as the entire process starting with Iran’s biased investigation into the downing lacked the necessary impartiality and transparency,” reads the Ministry’s statement.

The diplomats note that families of the 176 innocent victims are still waiting for the justice they deserve. “We continue to stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the victims of the downing of Flight PS752 and will not rest until justice has been served,” the MFA underscores.

As a reminder, the UIA plane was shot down on 8 January 2020 shortly after its takeoff from Tehran by two surface-to-air missiles. As a result, all 176 people on board died. Iran claimed responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian plane.

Natalia Tolub