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Canada announced the formation of a specialized team to investigate the incident of the downing of a Ukrainian plane by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Canada began establishing its own examination and evaluation team to examine evidence and information after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard shot down a Ukrainian plane last January, killing all 176 on board.
Canadian Chancellor Francois-Philippe Champagne’s office told the Associated Press that the team will collect, organize and analyze all available information, evidence and intelligence on the aftermath of the January 8 incident near Tehran, and advise the Canadian government on its credibility. .
This is another step in uncovering the truth, holding the Iranian regime accountable and seeking justice for the families of the victims, according to Champaign, who added in a statement to the Associated Press, saying: “We will spare no effort on behalf of the families of the victims. victims to achieve justice and close the case. “
The plane, which was heading to Ukraine’s capital Kiev, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from various countries, including 82 Iranians and more than 50 Canadians, including many Iranians with dual citizenship, and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials.
The downing of the plane came the same night that Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on US soldiers in Iraq, and that was its response to the US drone strike that killed former Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3.
At the time, Iranian forces were preparing to carry out a counterattack to the American attack and appeared to miss the plane like a missile.
Iran announced last month that it had recovered some data, including part of the cockpit conversations, from a Ukrainian plane that had been accidentally shot down by the Revolutionary Guards.
The head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said in August that the two black boxes of the Ukrainian airliner only guarantee 19 seconds after the first explosion, although the second missile reached the plane 25 seconds later. The report quoted does not mention any other details.
The Canadian government had previously rejected reports issued by Iran in this regard as limited and containing selected information, and said Tehran still had many questions to answer.
Iran initially denied responsibility for the downing of the plane before admitting, in the face of mounting evidence and international pressure, that the “Boeing 737-800” plane had fallen after being hit by two Iranian missiles.
