Commemoration ceremony held in Montreal 5 years after flight PS752 shot down, killing 176
Posted January 11, 2025 5:51 pm.
Last Updated January 11, 2025 6:33 pm.
It’s been five years since Flight PS752 was shot down by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly after taking off from Tehran killing all 176 passengers on board. The flight included 55 Canadian citizens and 30 Canadian permanent residents.
READ MORE: 63 Canadians killed in Iran plane crash: Ukraine official
Here in Montreal, members of the Iranian community organized a commemoration ceremony at Phillips Square in downtown Montreal to remember the victims.
“It could have been my family in that plane and unfortunately, I lost two of my friends during that downing of plane PS752,” said Farzaneh Fard, a friend of two victims of Flight PS752 and member of Iranian Justice Collective.
“I’m so sorry, you know, still after five years, it’s not easy to just talk about what happened.”
Bijan Jalali, an event organizer from Collective Woman Life Freedom Montreal said, “they came here to get better lives. Some of them, they were students, some of them, they were very accomplished businessmen, some of them, they were basically high-level of the business community here in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton. So great people and they came here for a new life, I mean, because the life in Iran was a hell for them.”
Hessam Sobhani, an event organizer from Global Network for Woman Life Freedom added, “this event is held around the world in about 25 cities that is held by the PS752 families association and also Global Network for Woman Life Freedom.”
A letter written by families of the victims of Flight PS752 was read at the ceremony. It spoke of the lives lost, but also demanded that those responsible for the deaths of the passengers be held responsible through international legal proceedings to reveal the truth and implement justice.
“We are here to condemn this basically government of Iran, IRGC attack. The last five years, unfortunately, the Government of Canada, I know they did some small things but not enough. We are demanding justice, international justice and I don’t understand for what reasons, I mean, this government, they don’t force the issues,” said Jalali.
Sobhani says, “We are thinking that it could be much better, the policies from the government could be more strict against the Islamic Republic and also the killers of these innocent people.”
The commemoration ceremony also included a poetry reading and protest music dedicated to the victims.
“Justice is not just a word. If I’m here today, I’m here to be the voice of voiceless people and this is like the most brutal thing that happened and can happen to anyone,” said Fard.
