Iran Plane Disaster
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: RCMP
Proposed Response:
- The downing of Flight PS752 is a national tragedy for Canada. Canada’s top priorities continue to be: closure, transparency, accountability and justice.
- The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the families and loved ones of the 57 Canadian victims.
- We are working with international partners to ensure a thorough and credible investigation into how such a horrific tragedy could have occurred.
- The Prosecutor General of Ukraine invited Canada and other affected nations to participate in a joint criminal investigation. The RCMP is in Ukraine and exploring how to support the criminal investigation that is underway.
- Iranian officials have also requested the RCMP’s support in identifying the victims of this tragedy, and these efforts are ongoing.
- The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worked with partners at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to coordinate and facilitate the repatriation of the victims’ remains to Canada.
- At Canadian ports of entry, the CBSA, in cooperation with GAC, facilitated families of victims by providing expedited clearance.
Background:
On January 8, 2020, Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was downed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s main airport, killing all 176 people on board, including 57 Canadians. On January 11, Iran announced that it mistakenly shot down flight PS752. The statement blamed “human error” for mistakenly shooting down the aircraft, and placed all responsibility on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ukraine sent a team of experts to Iran to support an investigation into the crash. Canada has announced its intention to support efforts to investigate the crash, by providing technical assistance. Other countries with victims include Iran, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, and UK.
Disaster Victim Identification
The process of victim identification has been completed by the Iranian government; all Canadian victims have been identified. Among the victims, 13 were repatriated to Canada and the remainder were buried in Iran.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Director General for Consular Affairs conveyed Iran’s request for RCMP support for victim identification during the initial stages.
The RCMP assisted and established DNA profiles for family members of seven Canadian victims.
Investigations
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is working with the Iranian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to investigate the crash.
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine invited Canada and other affected nations to participate in a joint criminal investigation.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Sean McGillis, A/Executive Director Federal Policing Strategic Direction
Approved by: Mike Duheme, Deputy Commissioner Federal Policing
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