Families of Victims of Flight PS752 gathered in front of the Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces

The PS752 crime will not be forgotten.

Today, May 16 2021, the families of victims of flight PS752 gathered in front of the Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran holding placards of their loved ones’ photos. They voiced their objections to the abuse of the judicial process and to the recent order issued by that military judicial body.

The families were extremely frustrated about the Iranian government’s lack of accountability, their disregard for the families’ questions and numerous complaints against the authorities behind this crime against humanity. After the protest police and plain clothed security forces proceeded to take photographs of the families and violently reacted to the mothers of the victims who protested their intimidating and oppressive actions.

Following the previous charges filed against Amirali Hajizade, the commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, another set of charges was filed on behalf of the families present at the protest against Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and against Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and against Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff of the of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These charges were registered in the Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces who issued a case registration number.

The charges were prepared in advance of the gathering and a a summary of the grounds for the charges that were filed were read by Mr. Sadeghi, the father and the grandfather of four of the victims of flight PS752 as follows;

1- The final notice of prosecution as issued by the branch 5 military prosecutor clearly implies that the battlefield rules govern and supersede the law.

2- The prosecutor of this case has sacrificed their legal and ethical responsibilities in favour of the battlefield rules of conduct.

3. The final charging order notice of this case is uniquely extraordinary as none of the accused have been named and neither of the charges against them were mentioned. Furthermore, the “prohibition of prosecution” of many commanders is an insult to the judiciary system and the rule of law.
4. The articles of prosecution protocols including the articles 161, 162, 270 etc. are unknown and meaningless to the prosecutor of this case.
5. The final charging order does not have any legal precedence and cannot be relied upon and will not affect the pursuance of this case in any manner.
6. If there is any good will or any intention or motivations to conduct fair and independent investigations into the case by an impartial body and based a lawful process, then an order to dismiss this case along with an order to initiate a lawful judicial process that is transparent must be made to proceed further.
7. Keeping the plaintiffs and their respective attorneys uninformed of the initial investigation process, the experts’ opinions and the complete text of the final charges clearly demonstrates the unfounded and symbolic handling of this case that we consider to be a show trial.
8. The plaintiffs and their respective attorneys have a legal right to access and review all files and proceedings that are pertinent to the case. The plaintiff’s repeated and lawful demands to have access to the proceedings has been refused to date and must be granted without delay.

Mr. Sadeghi and Mr. Malek, two of the grieving fathers of flight PS752 victims announced in two separate speeches the collective families’ grievances and demands. Several family members were present in today’s protest.