The governments of countries that lost citizens when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner demanded Thursday that Tehran accept “full responsibility” and pay compensation to families of the victims.
The foreign ministers of Canada, the UK, Afghanistan, Sweden and Ukraine issued the statement after a meeting at the Canadian High Commission on Trafalgar Square in London.
All 176 people aboard the Ukraine International Airlines died when it was brought down by ballistic missiles shortly after taking off from Tehran’s international airport en route for Kiev on Jan. 8.
The victims included 57 Canadian citizens as well as 11 Ukrainians, 17 people from Sweden, four Afghans and four British citizens, as well as Iranians.
“We are here to pursue closure, accountability, transparency and justice” for the victims, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday.
He said Iran had accepted responsibility, but only a full probe would reveal the “exact cause” and who was responsible.
Iran initially blamed a technical fault before acknowledging that its Revolutionary Guard had accidentally brought down the Boeing 737-800 flight.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a "comprehensive, transparent and independent international investigation" of the crash.
