TORONTO -- Some families in the Greater Toronto Area are struggling with the claim that the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was a mistake, saying they deserve answers as to why Iran’s military shot down the plane.
On Thursday, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) commented on Iran’s report, which was released Wednesday.
The TSP was critical of Iran’s report alleging that the country did not provide a full explanation or evidence about why the country’s military fired two surface-to-air missiles at the plane.
Watching the press conference provided little comfort to Aurora dentist Hamed Esmaeilion. He lost his nine-year old daughter, Reera, and wife, Parisa Eghbalian, in the Jan. 8 2020 crash.
“I think it was a very conservative approach to the report and we need to hear more. It was very disappointing to us and we are not satisfied at all,” Esmaeilion told CTV News.
Esmaeilion said he hasn’t seen the political will to move the case forward, and an international investigation is needed — something he says families wanted since day one.
“Honestly, all the families think it was intentional, but we need an investigation to prove that.”
After nearly 15 months, Esmaeilion is also frustrated that the TSB said it’s not in a position to say whether or not it’s safe to fly to Iran.
“We need a simple answer: yes or no. In our opinion it’s no, and it’s clear why. They can do it again. If you talk about safer skies, they can do it tonight, today.”
Of the 176 victims, 85 were Canadian or permanent residents, many with ties in the Greater Toronto Area.
Nasser Hashemi is an immigration consultant who knew Kiana Ghasemi for two years before she died in the crash at 19. He helped her settle in Toronto to study in a computer program at George Brown College.
He said knowing why the plane went down is key to dealing with the immense grief of the tragedy.
“I think at least if you know who’s the responsible one and that person stands up and says 'I made a mistake,' the moment someone says ‘I’m sorry’ is the moment at least you have something in your heart, a little rest,” Hashemi said.
“I live with anger and being mad about what happened. My daughter was supposed to be in school today, but now I have to sit here and listen that nobody wants to do anything,” said Esmaeilion. “We deserve answers.”
On Wednesday, the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims rejected Iran’s report and claims it was shot down due to human error.
“The contents published in this report, as with their previous reports, contain countless inconsistencies and are grossly inadequate to justify Iran’s claims about the causes of the downing,” it said.
“This final report did not resolve the inconsistencies or provide any additional information on key questions. The chain of command continues to remain ambiguous, the alleged gross mistakes remain unexplained, and the decision to keep the airspace open remains unfathomable.”
