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Iran jails 10 troops for downing Ukrainian airliner

April 17, 2023

The judiciary convicted and sentenced Iranian armed forces personnel over the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian airliner that killed all 176 people on board. Critics say the Iranian government has tried to cover up the case.

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Photographs of victims of Flight PS752 are seen at a rally in Canada
Iranian authorities have offered bereaved families $150,000 dollars each as compensationImage: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP/picture alliance

An Iranian military court has handed down prison sentences to 10 members of the armed forces involved in the downing of a Ukrainian airliner in 2020, the Mizan judicial portal announced on Sunday.

Mizan reported that a commander received the heaviest penalty of 10 years imprisonment for defying orders and shooting down the aircraft.

According to Mizan, the commander of a Tor M-1 surface-to-air missile system "fired two missiles" at the airliner "contrary to orders" and without authorization.

"Given the extent of the effects and consequences of this action, the main defendant was sentenced to the maximum penalty," Mizan Online said without giving further details.

Nine other military personnel received prison terms of between one and three years behind bars, the justice portal said.

None of the convicted personnel were identified.

What's the background of the PS752 tragedy?

On 8 January 2020, Iranian forces shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 en route to Kyiv, not long after taking off from Tehran. All 176 people on board were killed. Most were Iranians and Canadians, including many dual nationals.

Ukrainians mourn those who died during the PS752 crash at Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv
The plane downing brought grief to Ukrainians, with Ukrainian leaders accusing Tehran of concealing the truth when it comes to the tragedyImage: Sputnik/dpa/picture alliance

Iranian authorities had initially denied shooting down the aircraft, but made a U-turn after several Western leaders said early evidence suggested a missile was behind the crash.

Iran admitted that its military "unintentionally" fired a missile at a Ukrainian passenger plane because of "human error."

As part of the verdict, the court awarded the bereaved families $150,000 (€136,492) each as compensation.

Many critics are still of the opinion that Tehran has tried to cover up the case and not bring those responsible to justice.

Around the time flight PS752 was shot down, Iranian air defenses had been on high alert for a US counterattack after Tehran fired missiles at an Iraqi military base being used by US forces.

That missile strike was in response to the US drone attack which killed senior Iranian military officer, Major General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.

kb/wd (AFP, dpa)