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Iranian court sentences 10 military personnel over 2020 Ukraine jet downing

Iranian court sentences 10 military personnel over 2020 Ukraine jet downing

Iran's downing of Ukrainian passenger plane

An Iranian court sentenced 10 members of the armed forces to prison after they were found guilty of their involvement in the crash of a Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) jet, reported the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, on Sunday (April 16). The downing of the Ukrainian airliner resulted in the death of all 176 people on board.

What was the verdict?

According to the report by Mizan, a commander received 10 years in prison while the sentencing for the nine others ranged between one to three years. The verdict also closes the trial which Iran’s judiciary said it opened back in November 2021 for 10 military personnel connected with the Ukrainian jet’s downing.

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What happened back in 2020?

In 2020, UIA flight PS752 was shot down by two missiles moments after its takeoff from Tehran on January 8. The incident led to the death of all 176 people on board which included mostly Iranians and Canadians. Initially, Tehran had claimed that the Kyiv-bound passenger plane had crashed and was not until three days later that the Iranian armed forces admitted to downing the plane “by mistake”.

ALSO READ |Iran says 'human error' to blame for downing of Ukrainian jet

According to reports, the Iranian air defence said that they accidentally downed the Boeing 737 after mistaking it for an incoming missile. Tehran had later called it a “disastrous mistake” by forces who were on high alert, at the time of the incident as tensions between Iran and the United States were soaring.

The Iranian forces were anticipating a US counterattack after Tehran fired missiles at a military base in Iraq that was used by American forces. However, the claims of “human error” made by the Islamic Republic have been questioned by Ukraine, Canada, and various organisations as well as observers.

A report by the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization blamed the incident on the misalignment of a radar system and a lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders. However, Ukraine and Canada have rejected these claims, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Among those killed were citizens of Afghanistan, Britain, Canada, Germany, Iran, Sweden, and Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

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