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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran is clashing with three Western international locations and Ukraine over reparations for the Iranian army’s missile assault towards a Ukrainian passenger jet in January 2020 that killed all 176 passengers and crew on board.
Final month, ministers from Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and Britain, who’ve joined collectively in an Worldwide Coordination and Response Group representing international victims of the crash, mentioned in an announcement that they acquired “an unequivocal response” from Iran on Dec. 27 “that it doesn’t see a necessity to barter with the Group … associated to our collective demand for reparations.”
The 4 international locations harassed within the assertion despatched to U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres that the reparations situation have to be addressed collectively “so that every one victims are handled pretty and equally.”
They accused Iran of avoiding its worldwide authorized obligations by refusing to barter with the Coordination Group, declaring: “We won’t stand for this affront to the recollections of the 176 harmless victims.”
In January 2020, following three days of denial within the face of mounting proof, Iran lastly acknowledged that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard mistakenly downed the Ukrainian airplane with two surface-to-air missiles shortly after takeoff from Tehran. It occurred on the identical day Iran launched a ballistic missile assault on U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for an American drone strike that killed a prime Iranian basic.
In preliminary stories on the catastrophe in 2020, Iranian authorities blamed an air protection operator who they mentioned mistook the Boeing 737-800 for an American cruise missile.
The Coordination Group mentioned that after two years and a number of efforts to resolve the reparations situation by negotiations, it decided that additional makes an attempt “are futile” and the 4 international locations “will now concentrate on subsequent actions to take to resolve this matter in accordance with worldwide legislation.” They didn’t elaborate.
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi responded in a letter to the secretary-general circulated Thursday, confirming that the Coordination Group’s request for joint negotiations “has no foundation and impact on Iran.”
He mentioned Iran beforehand supplied bilateral negotiations with every of the 4 international locations, and “expresses as soon as once more its willingness to carry additional bilateral negotiations with Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK.”
Ravanchi referred to as it “ironic” that with out participating in bilateral negotiations the 4 governments “have concluded that any makes an attempt at negotiations with Iran are futile.”
He mentioned Iran participated in three rounds of bilateral talks with Ukraine in Kyiv in July 2020 an June 2021 and in Tehran in October 2020 and has taken “all possible measures to fulfil its inner and worldwide obligations.”
The Iranian authorities “strongly condemns any try and politicize the accident and its related technical points by the utilization of any instruments that may put stress on the Iranian authorities for political functions,” the ambassador mentioned.
Ravanchi mentioned the Iranian Cupboard issued a directive on Jan. 5, 2021 “to pay the quantity of $150,000 ex gratia to the heirs of every one who misplaced his/her life within the accident.” He added that the federal government has to this point made funds “to quite a few households.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran as soon as once more reiterates that the fee can be made to all households no matter their nationality and with out discrimination, whereas categorically rejecting the baseless claims of this self-proclaimed Group on this regard,” he mentioned.
On Nov. 21, 2021, Iran’s official IRNA information company reported {that a} listening to involving 10 army personnel — suspects from” varied ranks” — started over the army’s downing of the Ukrainian airplane, and that households of victims and their attorneys additionally attended.
Ravanchi mentioned within the letter that the trial “is now in progress,” and “households of the victims have been invited and publicly knowledgeable that they may file a grievance towards the accused earlier than the competent courts of Iran.” He added that to this point a number of hearings have been held within the presence of victims’ households.
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