Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Friday 17 January 2020
Nations of Iran crash victims seek compensation for families

By JILL LAWLESS bility. "From that admis-
Associated Press sion obviously flow con-
LONDON (AP) — The gov- sequences," he said, in-
ernments of five countries cluding the need to pay
that lost citizens when Iran compensation. In keeping
shot down a Ukrainian air- with international norms.
liner demanded Thursday Iran has invited Ukraine,
that Tehran accept "full re- Canada, the United States
sponsibility" and pay com- and France to take part
pensation to the victims' in the crash investigation.
families — though they had The Boeing 737 was built in
little to offer besides moral the United States and the
pressure to get Iran to com- engine was built by a U.S.-
ply. After a meeting in Lon- French consortium. But it's
don, foreign ministers from unclear whether Iran will
Canada, the U.K., Afghani- share all key details or give
stan, Sweden and Ukraine the countries' experts full
urged Iran to allow a "thor- access. Canada — which
ough, independent and doesn't have an embassy
transparent international in Iran — has demanded
investigation," as well as a official status in the inves- Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada Minister of Foreign Affairs, centre, Ukraine Minister of
criminal probe and "impar- tigation. Canadian Trans- Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko, second right, United Kingdoms Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs Dominic Raab, second left, Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, left, and
tial" judicial proceedings port Minister Marc Gar- Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Idrees Zaman, hold a minute of silence behind candles and in front
against those found re- neau said Wednesday that of a plaque with the names of the victims of flight PS752, at the High Commission of Canada in
sponsible for downing the two Canadian investiga- London, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020.
plane. tors were in Iran as part of Associated Press
All 176 people aboard the an international team and
Ukraine International Air- had good co-operation,
lines aircraft died when it but Garneau wants their
was brought down by bal- participation in the probe
listic missiles shortly after formalized. Garneau said
taking off from Tehran's the plane's voice and flight
Imam Khomeini Interna- data recorders are in Irani-
tional Airport on Jan. 8. an hands, but another two
The victims included 57 Ca- Canadian investigators
nadian citizens as well as are ready to go wherever
11 Ukrainians, 17 people and whenever they are
from Sweden, four Afghans examined. Champagne
and four British citizens, as said Canada, the other
well as Iranians. four affected nations and
"We are here to pursue the Netherlands, which lost
closure, accountability, almost 200 citizens when
transparency and justice" a Malaysian airliner flying
for the victims, Canadian from Amsterdam was shot
Foreign Minister Francois- down over eastern Ukraine
Philippe Champagne said in 2014, had offered to pro-
after meeting with Ukraini- vide expertise to the inves-
an Foreign Minister Vadym tigation. He urged Iran to
Prystaiko, Swedish Foreign accept and to allow full
Affairs Minister Ann Linde, access for the countries'
Afghan Acting Foreign Min- consular officials.
ister Idrees Zaman, British He said discussions were
Foreign Secretary Dominic underway with Tehran on
Raab and U.K. Middle East allowing international ex-
Minister Andrew Murrison.. perts to participate in iden-
Before the meeting at the tifying the victims' remains.
Canadian High Commis- Asked what pressure could
sion, ministers from the five be applied if Iran did not
nations lit candles at a vigil cooperate, Champagne
in memory of the dead pas- said: "It's called the interna-
sengers and crew mem- tional community."
bers. Iran initially blamed The downing of the plane
a technical fault for the came amid heightened
plane crash, before ac- tensions between Iran and
knowledging in the face of the United States over the
mounting evidence that its killing of Revolutionary
paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commander Gen.
Guard had accidentally Qassem Soleimani in a U.S.
brought down the jetliner. drone strike. Iran fired mis-
Champagne said it was a siles at Iraqi bases housing
"good first step" that Iran U.S. troops in retaliation for
had accepted responsi- his death.q