Iran sentences 10 servicemen in UIA plane downing case 

The judiciary website Mizan Online reported the information.

Ten servicemen were found guilty of the UIA plane crash that killed 176 people.

One of the commanders was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was given 3 years on charges of commanding the murder of the Ukrainian plane’s passengers. Another 10 years, the highest penalty, was imposed in connection with the cancellation of the notification order and the extent of the consequences of this action.

The defendant was ordered to pay compensation to the parents who requested it. The court also considered additional punishment for the defendant.

Nine other defendants in the case were sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison. The court also considered additional punishments for the defendants.

The decision is preliminary. The parties may appeal the verdict within 20 days.

In total, 20 court hearings were held in the case. During them, 117 plaintiffs registered their complaints, 55 spoke and read the draft law in court. Also, 20 lawyers represented the plaintiffs, their complaints and relevant evidence.

• The UIA plane was shot down on January 8, 2020, shortly after takeoff from Tehran by 2 surface-to-air missiles. As a result, all 176 people on board were killed. Iran claimed responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian plane.

• The Supreme Court of the Canadian province of Ontario has recognized the downing of a UIA plane in Iran as a deliberate act of terrorism.

• On January 8, 2022, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov said that the 2020 UIA plane crash over Tehran had all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.