Iran: relatives of victims of Ukrainian Boeing shot down in Tehran file complaint
Wreckage of the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 shot down by the Iranian armed forces on January 8, 2020. Akbar TAVAKOLI / IRNA / AFP
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On January 8, 2020, Iranian armed forces shot down a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing that had just taken off from Tehran for Kiev.
The tragedy claimed the lives of the 176 occupants of the aircraft, mostly Iranians and Canadians.
On Monday, we learned that two Iranian parents of two young passengers on the plane have filed a complaint against three of the country's top security officials.
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The complaint comes from Mohsen Assadi-Lari, director general of international affairs at the Ministry of Health at the time of the tragedy and his wife.
The couple lost a 23 and 21 year old son and daughter.
The complaint targeted the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Chamkhani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the head of the aerospace branch of the Revolutionary Guards, Amirali Hajizadeh.
In an interview with the reformist daily
Shargh
, the plaintiffs make serious accusations against the ideological army of the Islamic Republic.
They recount in particular having had an interview with the leader of the Revolutionary Guards, who allegedly told them that the attack on the plane had been a deliberate act to prevent an American attack on Iran.
► Also read:
Boeing shot down over Tehran: Iran "lies", say UN investigators
On the night of the tragedy, Iranian air defenses were on high alert for fear of a US attack.
The Islamic Republic expected a response from Washington after attacking a base used by the US military in Iraq, in response to
the elimination of General Qassem Soleimani
, architect of Iran's regional strategy.
The Guardians have denied this version of events.
Tehran did not admit the facts until three days later, saying it had shot down the aircraft "
by mistake
".
But the claims of the former regime official cause a lot of emotion but also doubts and debates in Iranian society.
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