World

Five Nations Affected by Ukrainian Plane Crash to Discuss Legal Action Against Iran - Kiev

Iran admitted on Saturday to downing a Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737 by mistake. The plane earlier crashed, killing all passengers on board.
Sputnik

Five countries whose nationals died in the downing tragedy in Iran last week will gather for a meeting on Thursday, to discuss possible legal action against Iran, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told Reuters.

Prystaiko, who spoke on the sidelines of an official visit to Singapore, said that the issue of compensation and an investigation into the incident would also be addressed at the meeting.

"We have created a group of foreign ministers from the grieving nations. On Jan 16 we will meet in London to discuss the means, including legal, to follow up on this, and how we will move forward in holding Iran responsible," Reuters quoted the minister as saying.

The minister also dismissed Iran's suggestion that the jet had been flying near a sensitive military installation as 'nonsense'.

Prystaiko added that the plane was travelling according to the international route provided by dispatchers.

"This is the Iranian government's responsibility," he said. "We have to dig out who gave the order, who pushed the button. Everything, all these people should be punished."

A Kiev-bound Boeing of the Ukraine International Airlines crashed on 8 January near Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, killing all 176 people on board. 

On Saturday, the Iranian military admitted to unintentionally shooting down the jetliner, having confused it with a hostile cruise missile in anticipation of a retaliatory strike from the US.

Discuss