2 weeks Ago By Mia Ping-Chieh Chen
Iran has filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking to overturn a decision by the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) to examine a case brought against Tehran over the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet. The case was filed on April 17, 2025, after the ICAO Council ruled in March that it had the jurisdiction to hear a complaint submitted by Ukraine, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Those countries accuse Iran of violating international aviation law when its military shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 shortly after takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board.
Iran argued that the ICAO decision is invalid and said the four countries did not follow required procedures before bringing the case, according to the press release . Tehran also claimed the ICAO vote was flawed and treated two separate legal objections as one. Iran Argues ICAO Has No Authority In its filing, Iran said the four countries failed to hold direct talks with Tehran before turning to ICAO, which it says violates Article 84 of the Chicago Convention, the treaty that governs international civil aviation.
The lawsuit also challenged how the ICAO Council handled Iran's objections to the complaint. Iran said it raised two different legal points, but the Council voted on them as a single issue. Iran argued that this denied it a fair process.
Iran also said the United Kingdom should not be allowed to take part in the case, arguing that no British citizens were officially confirmed on the flight. Tehran continues to state that its military downed the aircraft by mistake during a period of heightened alert, amid fears of a possible US military attack. ".
..the Decision of the ICAO Council is null and void and without effect.
" The PS752 Tragedy Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, a Boeing 737-800 , took off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8, 2020, and headed for Kyiv. Soon after takeoff, it was struck by two surface-to-air missiles fired by the Iranian military. All passengers and crew were killed: 176 people from Iran, Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
In the days following the incident, Iran acknowledged responsibility. Iranian officials stated the plane was mistaken for a hostile target due to elevated military tensions. However, the admission came only after significant pressure from United States intelligence and international media investigations.
Here's the timeline for the key incidents, according to Ukraine's news website Babel . Date Event Jan 8, 2020 Flight PS752 shot down near Tehran, killing all 176 on board Jan 11, 2020 Iran admits to downing the aircraft, citing human error March 17, 2021 Iran releases final accident report; Ukraine denounces it as manipulative July 4, 2023 Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, and Britain filed a lawsuit against at the ICJ March 17, 2025 ICAO Council rules it has jurisdiction to hear the case Apr 17, 2025 Iran files appeal against ICAO decision at the ICJ Aviation has been absent from Ukraine for almost 3 years now. With talks to end the war ongoing, resumption of commercial aviation may be coming.
And it could come from this airport.Uzhhorod International Airport (UDJ) is an airport in the major Western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, which has a population of about 115,000.The end of the 6,600 foot runway is only 150 meters short of the Slovak border.
While the aircraft may not be able to handle jet aircraft larger than the CRJ, it can definitely handle prop aircraft.Service may be on:LOT E170s to WarsawLufthansa CRJ-900s to FrankfurtFinnair ATR72s to Helsinki.What do you think about resuming services from this airport?This is user-generated content.
The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Simple Flying. International Response and Legal Steps In response to Iran’s handling of the case, Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom created a group to demand answers and justice for the victims. They said Iran violated aviation laws, specifically a rule that bans the use of weapons against civilian planes.
In 2023, Iran sentenced 10 military personnel involved in the incident. One was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and the others received shorter sentences. But the international group called the trial a "sham" and said it failed to deliver real justice.
The lawsuit against Iran moved forward to the next phase after the ICAO recognized jurisdiction of Flight PS752 on March 17, 2025. The four countries and the victims' families applauded the decision. PS752Justice, an association of the victims' families, issued a statement condemning Iran: "Nevertheless, the Islamic Regime repeatedly tried to use its false propaganda to obscure the truth and delay accountability for its unforgivable crime.
Now, with this condemnation, it is clear to all how little credibility this regime and its deceptive statements hold in the international community.".
