European Countries Complain to the UN About Iran's Downing of Ukrainian Plane

Canada, the UK, Sweden, and Ukraine announced on Monday that they have officially complained to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization in an effort to hold Iran accountable for the downing of a passenger plane in January 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 176 people. Most of the victims were citizens of the four countries that formed a coordination group seeking to hold Iran accountable. The countries stated in a joint announcement, "We have jointly initiated dispute resolution proceedings before the International Civil Aviation Organization against the Islamic Republic of Iran for using weapons against a civilian aircraft during a flight." Last June, the four countries indicated they would take their case to the International Court of Justice. Iran claims that the Revolutionary Guards unintentionally shot down the Boeing 737 and attributed the incident to inaccurate radar and a mistake made by the air defense operator during a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.