Kanishka Singh

(Reuters] – The families of six victims who were killed in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ attack on a Ukrainian International Airlines aircraft near Tehran, Canada two years back, have been awarded C$107 million ($83.94million) by an Ontario court. This includes interest.

Iran took the plane down in January 2020. All 176 crew members were killed including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.

According to Mark Arnold’s statement, the six relatives who were awarded compensation from an Ontario court for their loss of spouses, siblings and children aboard Flight 752, said that Mark Arnold was the lawyer. The six family members had brought a civil suit against Iran and the officials that they believed were responsible for the accident.

He said that his team will be looking to seize Iranian assets both in Canada and overseas. His team would be seeking to seize any assets that could help pay the debts to families, he said.

Arnold announced the Dec. 31 decision of Justice Edward Belobaba of Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice.

Shahin Moghaddam (Mehrzad Zarei) and Ali Gorji brought the case. CBC News reports that some other plaintiffs withheld their identities in fear of Iranian reprisals.

In mid-2021, a special Canadian team of forensic experts produced a report that accused Iran incompetence and recklessness in relation to the destruction of the Ukrainian passenger aircraft. Iran criticised the report for being “highly politicized”.

Although the report concluded that the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was not premeditated it didn’t absolve Iranian officials from responsibility.

Iran acknowledged that it downed the aircraft shortly after its takeoff in Tehran, January 2020. The incident was blamed on a “disastrous oversight” of forces at high alert following a confrontation between the United States and Iran.

Iran had been worried about potential attacks at the time after it launched missiles at Iraqi military bases. The missiles were fired in reprisal for Qassem Solimani’s death in a U.S. strike on Baghdad airport.

($1 = 1.2747 Canadian dollars)