Boeing shot down by Iran: agreement reached to compensate the families of the victims

The families of the Ukrainian victims of the plane shot down in error by an Iranian missile, gather in front of a memorial erected at Bryspil airport, near Kiev, on February 17, 2020. Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Tehran is making a gesture of goodwill by agreeing to compensate the families of foreign victims of the Ukrainian Boeing accidentally shot down by Iran in January, the Swedish Foreign Minister announced on Thursday 2 July.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi

Tehran has yet to confirm this news. But according to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, an agreement in principle has been signed to compensate foreign victims of the accident. In early January, Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian plane not far from Tehran. According to Iranian authorities, Iranian military personnel confused the aircraft with an American missile.

Iran had struck an American base in Iraq in retaliation for the targeted assassination by the United States of General Qassem Soleimani , head of the Al-Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards , in charge of external operations, notably in Iraq and Syria.

Probable disputes over the sums paid

The air crash left 176 dead, mostly Iranian-Canadians, but also Afghans, British, Swedes and Ukrainian crew members.

However, the sums paid could be disputed by the families of the victims. Indeed, Iran does not recognize dual nationality and Tehran could decide to compensate Iranian-Canadians according to Iranian law. In this case, the amount paid would be far below international standards.

After several months of arm wrestling, Iran agreed to send the black boxes of the aircraft to France for analysis. What Tehran had refused to do at first, declaring that it wanted to analyze the data from these witness boxes on its soil.

► Read also: Ukrainian plane crash: the regrets of President Rohani, the wrath of the street

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Iran
  • Ukraine

On the same subject

Iran

Ukrainian plane crash: President Rohani's regrets, street anger

the press review of the Americas

What's new: Canada in mourning after Iran plane crash