Foreign Ministers of Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom jointly initiated the consideration of the dispute at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against Iran for the use of weapons against the civilian aircraft of UIA Flight PS752. This was stated in a joint statement by the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of PS752, reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
In the statement, the ministers of Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom announced that they jointly initiated the consideration of the dispute at ICAO against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the use of weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight, violating Iran's international legal obligations under Article 3bis of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (known as the Chicago Convention).
"For four years, Iran has refused to take full international legal responsibility for the downing of Flight PS752, despite our numerous attempts to engage in negotiations on this matter. Thus, we have referred the dispute to the ICAO Council for a decision under Article 84 of the Chicago Convention," the heads of the foreign ministries noted.
The ministers are confident that the initiation of this proceeding today reflects their commitment to the families of the victims, who deserve justice, and demonstrates trust in the ICAO Council and the international community as a whole as guardians of the safety of civil aviation, especially in the resolution of disputes when they arise.
"It is extremely important that violators of international law be held accountable. We hope that these actions, together with our desire to seek justice through the International Court of Justice, will lead to real changes and help prevent similar tragic events in the future. Justice prevails," the statement concludes.
As reported, on January 8, 2020, UIA Flight PS752 was shot down in the sky over Iran while flying the Tehran-Kyiv route. Onboard were citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom.
All 176 people on board died, including eleven Ukrainians (nine crew members and two passengers). After several days of denial, the Iranian authorities acknowledged that the Ukrainian plane had been mistakenly shot down by an anti-aircraft missile system.
On December 29, 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded the title of Heroes of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star to the crew members of Flight PS752.
