Iran cash pledged for Ukraine jet families

• Iran’s cabine t on Wednesday allocated $ 150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane shot down in Iranian airspace in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Dozens of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as many others with ties to Canadian universities, were killed in the crash.

Describing Iran’s handling of the situation as “unacceptable,” Ukraine said the amount of compensation should be negotiated and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.

According to the IRNA report, an Iranian government statement said: “The cabinet approved the provision of $ 150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said they accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane shortly after takeoff, mistaking it for a missile when tensions with the U.S. were high.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the compensation should be set through talks, taking into account international practice, after establishing the causes of the tragedy and bringing those responsible to justice.

“The Ukrainian side expects from Iran a draft technical report on the circumstances of the aircraft shooting down,” ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said, adding that Iran had yet to implement earlier agreements, without giving details.

“This situation is especially unacceptable, since we are talking about the fate of innocent people,” he said.

Iran’s transport minister Mohammad Eslami told state television that the final report on the crash had been sent to the countries participating in the investigation.

Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said an indictment will be issued in less than a month against “those whose negligence caused the accident.”