Iran ‘still jailing’ Ukraine jet protesters
Iran was accused on Saturday of continuing to jail people who protested against its shooting down of a Ukrainian jet four months ago. At least 13 have been imprisoned since April, after 30 were detained in a “brutal” crackdown on demonstrations in January, Human Rights Watch said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down Flight 752 on Jan. 5, 2020, minutes after it had taken off from Tehran airport, killing all 176 on board. Iran denied involvement, but finally admitted on Jan. 11 that it downed the plane in error. After protests in Iran, 11 people were sentenced to eight months in prison for “propaganda against the state, chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and taking photos and videos” at a vigil for the plane victims in Amol, in Mazandran province. “Iranian authorities are following their usual playbook of dodging accountability,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director of Human Rights Watch. “While refusing to provide details about any investigation of culpability for the deadly mistake, judicial officials are wasting no time in sentencing people who protested against the loss of 176 lives.
“Instead of prosecuting those who exercised their right to free expression and peaceful assembly, the Iranian authorities should conduct a transparent investigation and cooperate with international bodies to find out exactly what happened in this tragedy.”