Statement of the Association on the Fifth Anniversary of the Downing of Flight PS752
Five years have passed. Five years passed from the shooting down of a passenger airplane over Tehran Airport. Five years passed from silencing of kind hearts and beautiful eyes that were struck by missiles. Five years passed from the killing of the defenseless, from the burned suitcases, and from the assault of bulldozers on what remained of the carnage. Five years passed from the withering of the warm embraces of our loved ones. From the futures that were robbed and from the great injustice that continues. Five years of crime, five years of lies, five years of repression, five years of longing, five years of standing firm, five years of reminding, and five years of the burning flame of anger that will not subside.
Five years passed from the crime of bringing down Flight PS752 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the murder of 176 human beings and an unborn child.
In the years that passed, this crime was referred by the governments of four affected countries; Canada, Britain, Ukraine, and Sweden to the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization. While thanking these governments for their commitment to the families, we once again announce that our expectation from this legal process is the revelation of the truth and the implementation of justice. In the coming months, we envisage the response of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the convening of an initial session at the International Court of Justice (The Hague), and we hope the path of truth-finding will be properly followed. On the other hand, the inclusion of the name of the Revolutionary Guard Corps in the list of terrorist groups in Canada is very important, and we hope other countries will also follow Canada and the United States in this matter.
Today it is clear, and it was also clear from the first day, that the Islamic Regime in Iran has no evidence of human error. The Islamic Regime has increased pressure on the families of the victims, no matter where they are in the world—especially in Iran. The Association of Families pursues two clear demands:
- A request for the special review of the case in The Hague Court, considering the Islamic Republic’s behavior toward the families.
- The opening of a criminal case in Canada by the Federal Police (RCMP) and the support of the four affected countries for submitting the case to the International Criminal Court.
This day is also the anniversary of the Islamic Regime’s state sanctioned murder of Baktash Abtin and the crime of hanging Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini. The rotten pillars of the Islamic Regime stand on the graves of thousands of victims, and keeping their memory alive and honored will lead to the weakening and collapse of this palace of oppression. The PS752 families’ pursuit of justice—which is part of the great movement of seeking justice in Iran—can help the movement of Iranians to emerge from this nightmare and reach justice and freedom. Our difficult path toward justice continues, and on this path, we consider ourselves indebted to the millions of freedom loving people who have stood with us in Iran and around the world.
One day, justice will be carried out in Iran. One day, the criminals will be convicted and punished in an independent judiciary in a free Iran. We are determined and hopeful, and we will not relent for a moment, in seeking justice for our loved ones. Until that day, we shall never forget, nor shall we ever forgive the killers of the children of Iran.
