On January 8, 2020, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Flight 752 (Flight PS752) shortly after take-off from Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) in Tehran. This tragedy took the lives of 176 passengers and crew, including 55 Canadians, 30 permanent residents and dozens more on their way to Canada. There were nine Ukrainian crewmembers and other nationals from Iran, Sweden, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom on board Flight PS752. Since the downing, significant questions have remained surrounding the circumstances and causes of the tragedy. Gaps in knowledge continue to exist, and to date, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) has been unresponsive to requests by Canada and its international partners to address them. This Forensic Team report draws upon an extensive body of information to develop this all-source factual analysis and present as complete an unclassified account of events as possible. It outlines the factual sequence of events that led to the tragedy, examines human and organizational factors that most likely contributed to the downing, and presents analysis that either substantiates, questions or dispels Iran’s assertions. The findings and conclusions in this report are informed by a comprehensive analysis of the reports produced by Iran’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) and other publicly available information. They have been validated by consulting information collected by the Government of Canada, including classified information. The pages that follow present the Forensic Team’s factual analysis of events related to the downing of Flight PS752 and is intended to complement the Honourable Ralph Goodale’s report (Flight PS752: The Long Road to Transparency, Accountability and Justice) published on December 15, 2020. Following the downing of Flight PS752, Canadian law enforcement agencies have received a number of complaints from family members of victims in which they reported being the targets of intimidation and threats. In the interest of public safety, all potential victims of intimidation in Canada have been asked to contact their local police to address any immediate safety concerns. This report, along with Canada’s broader response, should be taken as a demonstration that no attempt by Iran to intimidate the family members will end the demands for answers and accountability from Canada and others. (See Annex A for details on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation.)
Key Lines of Inquiry The Forensic Team’s lines of inquiry were focused primarily on assessing the facts relevant to the immediate and systemic causes and contributing factors that led to the downing of Flight PS752. Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) establishes standards and recommended practices for the conduct of international aviation investigations. It includes the requirement to establish an independent investigation body separate from State aviation authorities and other entities that could interfere with the investigation.1 As the “State of Occurrence,” the Islamic Republic of Iran, specifically its AAIB, was the lead investigative body.2 It is the view of the Forensic Team that the AAIB lacks this required independence due to its incorporation within the Civil Aviation Organization
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