Canadian Court ruled to recover $ 84 million from Iran in favor of relatives of six passengers of the downed Ukrainian liner

A court in the Canadian province of Ontario ordered the Iranian authorities to recover compensation in the amount of Canadian $ 107 million (about $ 84 million), which will receive the families of six Canadian citizens who died in a plane crash near Tehran in 2020. About it reported Canadian television channel CBC citing plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Arnold.

According to the lawyer, his charges have filed a civil lawsuit against Iran and other officials who, in their opinion, are to blame for the disaster. The lawyer noted that his team will seek the seizure of Iranian assets in Canada and abroad. In particular, he pointed to the possibility of arresting Iranian oil tankers to pay the families of the victims.

Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 (Boeing 737-800) crashed shortly after leaving Tehran airport for Kiev on January 8, 2020. Among the 176 killed were 55 Canadian citizens and 30 people who permanently resided in Canada. Also on board were citizens of Iran, Ukraine, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden and Afghanistan. On January 11, the Iranian military admitted that they had shot down Boeing from the Tor-M1 air defense missile system by mistake: allegedly, the air defense system operator, having no connection with the higher command, independently made the wrong decision to hit a target in the sky that could carry a potential threat to military targets and was similar on a cruise missile.

According to media reports, not even one, but two missiles hit the plane. According to one versions, they were launched in automatic mode while the military performed the morning prayer.

Tehran placed some of the responsibility for what happened on Washington: they say, the tension in the region caused by the US airstrike on January 3, 2020 at Baghdad airport, which killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, led to the catastrophe. After that, Iran launched missile strikes at American bases in Iraq and brought its air defense forces to a state of high alert, preparing to repel a possible counterstrike from the United States.

In May 2021, Ontario Superior Court Judge Edward Belobaba ruled that the destruction of the plane was a deliberate terrorist act. The Iranian Foreign Ministry called the court’s decision unfounded.

In June 2021, Iranian Supreme Court spokesman Gholam Hossein Ismaily confirmed that Tehran was planning pay off compensation in the amount of $ 150 thousand for the family of each person killed in the plane crash.