The Ukraine International Airlines plane was hit shortly after takeoff by two missiles that Iran says were mistakenly fired, killing 176 people.
Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine have filed a complaint with the United Nations civil aviation agency against Iran over its 2020 shooting down of a passenger jet that killed 176 people.
The four countries, all of which had citizens on board the Ukraine International Airlines flight, accused Tehran of “using weapons against a flying civilian aircraft in violation of its international legal obligations.”
The Boeing 737-800 was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020, as tensions with the United States rose following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Three days later, Iran admitted that its Revolutionary Guards had accidentally fired two missiles at the plane heading to Kiev.
The four countries said they had initiated a “dispute settlement process” with the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal.
The move is “an important step in our commitment to ensuring that the families of the victims affected by this tragedy receive the justice they deserve,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended a memorial service in Ontario to mark the fourth anniversary of the tragedy Participated in disaster.
The countries have already filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and are demanding Iran provide reparations to the families of the victims.
They said Iran had failed to conduct an impartial, transparent and fair criminal investigation and prosecution in accordance with international law.
In April last year, an Iranian court handed down initial sentences against 10 unnamed people accused of involvement in the incident, including the operator of an air defense system.
Iran also set a compensation of $150,000 for each of the victims' families and said it began paying in 2022.
Tehran rejected claims that it was not cooperating or being transparent, accusing the four governments of trying to “politicize” the issue.
It has filed its own case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Canada of violating its “international obligations” by allowing people to seek civil damages against Tehran.