Canada Court: Iran Should Pay Families over Plane Shootdown

General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020 is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video via REUTERS
General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020 is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video via REUTERS
TT

Canada Court: Iran Should Pay Families over Plane Shootdown

General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020 is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video via REUTERS
General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020 is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video via REUTERS

A court in Canada has ruled that Iran should pay $107 million in punitive damages to families of six people with Canadian citizenship or residency who were killed in the Iranian military's downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in 2020, the Canadian Press reported.

The military's shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles killed all 176 people on board. Over 100 of the Iranian victims had Canadian citizenship or residency, prompting some families of the victims to sue Iran in Canadian civil court, reported The Associated Press.

Last year, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the Iranian military's downing of the passenger plane constituted an “act of terrorism,” allowing the families to bypass Iran's legal immunity and seek compensation for their losses. Foreign nations are ordinarily immune from suits in Canadian courts.

In a decision made public on Monday, Justice Edward Belobaba awarded $7 million in compensatory damages on top of $100 million in punitive damages, plus interest, to families that launched the suit in Ontario, the Canadian Press reported.

“This court well understands that damage awards are a poor substitute for the lives that were lost,” Belobaba said in the ruling, dated Dec. 31.

It remains unclear how the families would actually collect the damages from Iran. But the ruling carries symbolic significance for families who have complained about the lack of transparency and accountability in Iran’s investigation of its own military and their inability to seek justice in Iran.

The Canadian Press cited a statement from families' lawyers that hailed the court's decision as “unprecedented in Canadian law.”

The crash happened in early January 2020 as Washington and Tehran teetered on the precipice of war. Just hours before the shootdown, Iran had fired ballistic missiles at American bases in Iraq in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.

After days of denial, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard publicly apologized for the downing and blamed it on an air defense operator who authorities said mistook the Boeing 737-800 for an American cruise missile.



Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Invited to Trump's Inauguration

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
TT

Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Invited to Trump's Inauguration

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been invited to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 and is seeking to obtain the return of his passport, confiscated last year amid a probe into an attempted coup in 2023.

Bolsonaro has been barred from running for political office in Brazil until 2030 and faces criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup. He denies any wrongdoing.

His passport was retained in February 2024 on the order of a Brazilian Supreme Court judge.

The invitation was confirmed by Bolsonaro on his X account and by his advisor, Fabio Wajngarten, who told Reuters that the former president is willing to go.

On his X account, Bolsonaro expressed his "honor at receiving the invitation". He also said that his lawyer, Paulo Bueno, has already requested Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes release his passport for the trip.

Trump's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.