Ukraine, together with Canada, Britain and Sweden, initiated a new dispute over Iran's downing of a Ukrainian plane in 2020

Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom have initiated a dispute at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against Iran over the use of weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight.

Source. This is stated in a joint statement of the International Coordination Group for the Victims of Flight PS752, posted on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Monday.

"We, the ministers representing Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, have taken another step towards justice and accountability for the illegal downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by Iran, which killed 176 people, including citizens and residents of our countries," the statement reads.

As reported, on January 8, 2024, the parties "jointly initiated a dispute at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the use of weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight, in violation of its international legal obligations under Article 3bis of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (known as the Chicago Convention)."

The statement emphasizes that for four years Iran has refused to assume full international legal responsibility for the downing of Flight PS752, despite numerous attempts to enter into negotiations on the issue.

"We have therefore referred the dispute to the ICAO Council for a decision in accordance with Article 84 of the Chicago Convention."

The initiation of these proceedings reflects a commitment to the families of the victims who deserve justice, the document says.

"It also demonstrates our confidence in the ICAO Council and the international community as a whole as a guardian of civil aviation safety."

"It is extremely important that violators of international law are held accountable. We hope that these actions, along with our commitment to seek justice through the International Court of Justice, will lead to real change and help prevent similar tragic events in the future," the statement said.

The UIA Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, which was to have operated flight PS752 from Tehran to Kyiv, was shot down on January 8, 2020, near Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran immediately after takeoff.

There were 167 passengers and nine crew members on board. All of them died. Among the dead were 11 citizens of Ukraine (including nine crew members), 82 citizens of Iran, 63 citizens of Canada, 10 citizens of Sweden, four citizens of Afghanistan, and three citizens of Germany and Britain.

On January 11, the Iranian authorities admitted that the Boeing was shot down by the Iranian military by mistake. Later, the Commander of the Aerospace Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said he took full responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian plane.