Iran Claims Key Suspect In Ukrainian Airliner Downing Still Detained

Iran claims the "primary suspect" in the case of the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by Revolutionary Guard missiles remains in custody and has not been released on bail.

Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary stated on Tuesday: "The primary suspect in the case, charged with unintentional manslaughter, has been in custody since the beginning of the investigation, and no bail order has been issued for his release."

Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, the lawyer representing some of the families of the victims of the PS752 airliner reported on Monday that during the investigation into the complaint against the perpetrators and accomplices of the incident, only the primary suspect had been detained, and he has now been released.

Tabatabaei said: "The primary suspect has served more than half of his sentence, and since the sentence was not final, he has been released on bail. The other suspects are not arrested yet until their sentences are finalized."

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was targeted by Revolutionary Guard missiles on the morning of January 8, 2020, moments after takeoff. All 176 passengers, including a fetus, were killed.

In April, the Tehran military court sentenced the operator of the system, responsible for firing the missiles at the plane, to 13 years in prison and ordered him to pay compensation.

Among the military personnel accused, none of the high-ranking military or government officials of the Islamic Republic are named.

On Monday, marking the fourth anniversary of the downing of the plane, many Iranians inside and outside the country honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy. Some families of the victims gathered at the crash site in Shahedshahr, blaming the Islamic Republic directly for the incident.