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Iranian protesters take to the streets after Tehran admits that the Ukrainian plane was unintentionally shot down

2020-01-12T01:53:14.486Z


Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Iran on Saturday after Tehran admitted that it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing 176 people. Video shows ...


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Iran admits the demolition of the plane, what does it mean? 3:42

(CNN) - Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Iran on Saturday after Tehran admitted that it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing 176 people.

Thousands of people gathered outside the gates of Amir Kabir University, near the former US embassy in Tehran, to denounce the plane crash that the government attributed to human error and "American adventure."

Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 crashed on Wednesday after takeoff from Tehran airport. The accident occurred hours after Iran fired missiles at the Iraqi military bases that house US troops, in retaliation for the drone attack at the Baghdad airport that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

In a video posted on social networks, protesters chanted for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to resign and for those responsible for shooting down the plane to be prosecuted. "Death to the dictator," some sang.

In a video, protesters chanted: “Khamenei be ashamed. Leave the country. "

  • LOOK: Iran admits that it shot down the Ukrainian plane by mistake

A mass vigil commemorating the victims of the downed flight became an angry demonstration after the government admitted, according to the Iranian semi-official news agency FARS. University graduates who emigrated to Canada were among those who died in the accident.

FARS reported that Iranian police dispersed the students who entered and blocked the main roads.

His anger was fueled in large part by the nation's armed forces that claim he aimed at the passenger plane unintentionally. He attributed the shock to radar activity and fear of US action.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all grieving families, ”said President Hassan Rouhani.

After the missile operation in Iraq, US military flights around the Iranian borders increased and Iranian military officials reported seeing aerial targets heading toward strategic centers, according to a statement from the headquarters of the Iranian armed forces.

“The aircraft approached a sensitive IRGC military center at an altitude and flight condition that resembled a hostile target. In these circumstances, the aircraft was hit unintentionally, which unfortunately resulted in the death of many Iranian and foreign citizens, ”the statement said.

The victims include 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, 4 Afghans, 3 Germans and 3 British citizens.

  • MORE: Video shows the impact of the Ukrainian plane in a suburb of Iran

"Human error at the time of crisis caused by American adventurism led to disaster," Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted.

The commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran said he had requested that all commercial flights in Iran be suspended until the tensions calmed down.

But the Armed Forces and government and aviation authorities decided not to do so, Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said at a press conference.

Hajizadeh said the plane was mistakenly identified as a cruise missile by an air defense operator.

The operator could not contact the central air defense command to confirm it. He had 10 seconds to choose between knocking him down or not, Hajizadeh said.

Hajizadeh accepted the responsibility, saying that once it was clear what had happened, he thought, "I wish I was dead."

Those responsible will be prosecuted

The office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine said in a statement that he was now investigating the incident as a possible case of "intentional murder and destruction of an aircraft."

The plane's demolition was being handled as a case of "violation of traffic safety regulations" and "air transport operation resulting in death," but prosecutors said Iran’s admission changed the scope to “responsibility for the deliberate murder of two or more people and the destruction of the plane, ”the statement said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Iran's admission a “step in the right direction” through Twitter.

"I insist on immediately completing the identification of the bodies and their return to Ukraine," Zelensky wrote after a call with Rouhani.

“Those responsible must be held accountable. We expect greater legal and technical cooperation, ”added Zelensky, who had previously asked Iran to pay compensation.

Rouhani apologized to the Ukrainian people and promised to hold those responsible responsible, according to the reading of the conversation.

"The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran fully acknowledges that the tragedy was due to the wrong actions of the military in this state," according to the reading.

  • READ: ANALYSIS: Donald Trump is currently a bigger headache for Europe than Iran

Rouhani, in a statement issued by his office on Saturday, echoed those feelings.

"More research is needed to identify all the causes and roots of this tragedy and prosecute the perpetrators of this unforgivable mistake and inform the honorable people of Iran and the families of the victims about it," said Rouhani.

"It is also necessary to adopt the arrangements and measures required to address the weaknesses of the country's defense systems to ensure that such a disaster never happens again," he added.

Iran recognizes that the "big lie" is true

Iran had previously denied claims by the United States that the country had accidentally shot down the plane.

An American official, familiar with intelligence, said the plane was shot down by two Russian-made SA-15 ground-air missiles. The United States saw Iranian radar signals crash on the plane before being shot down.

"No one will take responsibility for such a big lie once it is known that the claim had been fraudulent," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said in a statement Friday morning, according to state television Press TV.

Iranian authorities own the two flight data recorders, also known as black boxes, to which Ukrainian researchers had access on Friday. They still have to start examining the information, but have said it included communications between the pilot and the Tehran flight control.

The Canadian government was waiting for Iran to issue 10 visas to give its representatives access to the crash site, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Friday.

Two members of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and 10 Global Affairs officials were waiting for documents in Ankara, Turkey.

Three visas were issued for members of the Canada Permanent Rapid Deployment Team (SRDT), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.

The SRDT is a unit of specialized officials deployed to work with Canadian embassies and consulates abroad to provide critical services to Canadians during emergencies, according to the Canadian government. They were expected to arrive in Tehran on Saturday.

Rouhani told Trudeau that he was committed "to collaborate, close the victims, reduce tensions in the region and continue this dialogue," said the Canadian Prime Minister.

"What Iran has admitted is very serious," Trudeau said. "Canada will not rest until we get the responsibility, justice and closure that families deserve."

  • MORE: What you have to know to understand the crisis between Iran and the United States

Trudeau said that "the conflict and tension" between the United States and Iran "contributed" to the demolition of flight PS 752.

The leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States condemned Iran.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, tweeted that his administration will continue to support the "brave and suffering people of Iran."

The general's death increased tension

Tensions increased last week after Trump ordered a precision attack that dropped Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani was planning "imminent and sinister attacks" against the Americans, Trump said, adding that measures were taken to stop a war.

The Pentagon blamed Soleimani and his Quds Force for attacks on coalition bases in Iraq in recent months, including the December 27 assault that killed an American contractor and Iraqi personnel. He was also charged with the attack by the US embassy in Baghdad on December 31. The Pentagon said that in addition to the hundreds killed in his time as commander, thousands more were injured.

Tense relations between the United States and Iran have complicated the investigation. Researchers from the United States government, for example, cannot fly to Tehran and meet with government officials without a license. That ban is due to long-standing sanctions instead of the most recent events, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Friday that Trump was authorized more sanctions against Iran.

CNN's Nicole Gaouette, Hamdi Alkhshali, Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr, Nicole Gaouette, Hamdi Alkhshali, Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr, Eliza Mackintosh, Jonny Hallam and Radina Gigova contributed to this report.

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Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-01-12

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