Canada-led group criticises Iran jailing troops for downing Ukraine jet

Iran's sentencing of 10 alleged perpetrators in the downing of a Ukrainian airliner was criticised Tuesday by Canada and other countries whose citizens were aboard the flight, saying the "sham trials" lacked impartiality and transparency. Iranian forces shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after its takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board. Most were Iranians and Canadians, including many dual nationals. Tehran on Sunday sentenced 10 members of the armed forces, including a commander, to prison after finding them guilty of involvement in the plane's downing. But in a joint statement, a coordination group representing Canada, Sweden, the UK and Ukraine said the verdicts "must not distract the world from Iran's failure to meet its international obligations and take responsibility for its actions". "Neither the trials nor the verdicts announced this week brings truth or justice to the families of the victims, as the entire process -- starting with Iran's biased investigation into the downing -- lacked the necessary impartiality and transparency," it added. The statement noted that the families of the 176 victims were "still waiting for the justice they deserve".<br/>