OTTAWA, Oct. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims (the Association) organized a rally in Ottawa on Tuesday to mark the one thousandth day since the downing of Flight PS752. The rally continued the ongoing call on the Government of Canada to refer PS752’s case to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) as a terrorist organization in Canada, requests of which are heightened amid the ongoing human rights protests in Iran.
“It has been one thousand days of relentlessly pursuing truth and justice for the 176 passengers and unborn child that were killed on Flight PS752, including my wife and daughter,” says Hamed Esmaeilion, President and Spokesperson of the Association. “We are a group of grieving families often discouraged by the politics, legalities, and processes that make justice feel so out of reach. But we are committed to continuing our effort with resolve. We hope that our pain, our shattered lives, and our efforts to reveal the truth will help pave the way for freedom and justice in Iran.”
The rally comes on the heels of the Association’s recent submission of an Article 15 Communication to Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The submission alleged that perpetrators from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IRGC have committed certain war crimes and crimes against humanity against the passengers and crew of Flight PS752 and their surviving family members. This submission represents the determination of the Association to pursue all avenues available for holding Iran to account and achieving progress towards justice.
In addition to referring the case to the ICAO and listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the Association is specifically asking the Canadian government to take concrete action by opening a domestic criminal investigation into the PS752 case, investigating the Islamic Republic’s open money laundering activities, investigating how Islamic Republic agents, security and military personnel, politicians and their families have been residing in Canada and expelling them without delay, and writing a letter of support for the Association's Article 15 submission to the ICC.
Thousands attended the rally to stand with the Association and join with them in calling on the government for more action. Attendees marched from the Supreme Court of Canada to Parliament Hill, where several prominent guest speakers expressed their support. The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, as well as The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport spoke on behalf of the Government of Canada. The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition also shared remarks at the event. Hamed Esmaeilion delivered a speech on behalf of the Association, which communicated the ongoing struggles of pursuing truth and justice and reiterated the government actions that are needed to propel the case forward.
Media Contacts
Oliveah Numan
onuman@sussex-strategy.com
Hamed Esmaeilion
speaker@ps752justice.com
