The Association’s Statement: Principal Culprits of the PS752 Downing Protected by “Prohibition of Prosecution Order”
After 600 days since the PS752 mass murder, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military tribunal in Tehran issued a notice to the families who have filed a lawsuit. According to this notice, the Iranian courts have prohibited the criminal prosecution of: the Government of the Islamic Republic; the Supreme National Security Council; the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); the Unified Air Defense Forces; the Defense Forces; the IRGC Aerospace Force; Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO); Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC; Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of Aerospace Force of the IRGC; and Ali Abedzadeh, former Head of Iran’s CAO.
This notice instead provides the names of the following low-ranking subordinates of the IRGC who have been charged only with participating in the manslaughter of 177 people, negligence, recklessness, and failing to observe official duties: IRGC Captain Mehdi Khosravi (TOR M-1 commander); IRGC First Lieutenant Meysam Kheirollahi (Operator); IRGC Third Lieutenant Seyed Ahmad Miri (Operator); IRGC First Lieutenant Mohammad Majid Eslam Doost; IRGC Captain Sajjad Mohammadi; IRGC Major Hamed Mabhout; Islamic Republic Army Colonel Mostafa Farati; IRGC Second Brigadier General Ibrahim Safaei Kia; and IRGC Brigadier General Ali Akbar Seydoun.
This note once again illustrates how the judiciary system in Iran, which operates under the Supreme Leader of Iran, lacks independence and is manifestly unfit to prosecute this file. The real culprits of this heinous crime have all been arbitrarily exonerated—or in some cases, such as the Supreme Leader, completely bypassed. This includes the Supreme National Security Council, who ordered to keep the skies open and use innocent civilians as human shield; the IRGC and its high command, who are directly implicated in the shooting of at least two missiles at a passenger jetliner; the government’s top officials who conspired to lie and deceive to hide their crime; and Ali Khamenei, who is ultimately responsible for the crime as the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of Iran. The blame, according to Iran’s military courts, entirely falls on the low-ranking subordinates.
These proceedings are in stark contrast to the findings of Canada’s forensic report, which on multiple levels implicated the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the downing of Flight PS752. The Iranian regime has provided no explanations except lies and deception in the past twenty months, and once again it did not hesitate to sacrifice the truth in this shameful frame-up of justice. The words in this notice, such as “unintentional manslaughter” and “negligence”, lend colour to these shortfalls of the judiciary system in Iran, in light of all the evidence that point to the decisions and intentions behind the mass murder of our loved ones.
It is obvious now more than ever what constitutes transparent and just criminal proceedings for the perpetrators of this crime in the eyes of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are in anticipation of a suitable reaction by the government of Canada, Ukraine, the UK and Swedish to the recent court notice. We continue to believe that truth and justice can only be achieved through an impartial, international tribunal.
