Montrealers remember victims on 4th anniversary of Flight PS752 downing

Montreal’s Iranian community braved the snow and cold to remember the victims killed during the downing of Flight PS752 on the tragedy’s fourth anniversary.

Families and friends of the victims and other community members gathered at Phillips Square, still calling for justice four years after a Ukraine International Airlines flight was shot down minutes after takeoff outside Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020.

“In this flight, it can easily be me on this flight going to visit my family. So I have a strong connection in that way,” community member Bahar told CityNews.

“After this incident, I have never been the same. That’s what I can tell you.”

All 176 people on board were killed, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

“I don’t know what the feeling of the kids and women, old men on the airplane, what they feel,” said Alfares, a retired Iraqi Airways pilot. “I share all the sadness. I know what they feel at that time. God help them and help the family.”

Sunday’s vigil in Montreal was called “Remember Me.”

“They lost their sons, their mothers, their sisters, their cousins, their relatives,” said Bijan Jalali, who organized the gathering.

“This is what the life of the Islamic Republic of Iran is regarding these victims. They are butchers, they are dictators, they don’t believe in international law.”

Canada is among four countries – along with Sweden, Ukraine and the U.K. – trying to hold Iran accountable for downing the flight.

Grieving families and loved ones have been asking for years that Canada designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

“We’re demanding for the government of Canada to put the Islamic Republic of Iran, the government and also IRGC, the military wings of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the terrorist organizations,” said Jalali. “So, I know it’s very, very difficult for us, for Iranians to accept this, but this is the reality of the life in Iran right now.