On Saturday, January 8, Iranians around the world will honour those who died on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, marking two years since the aircraft was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Vigils are being held in Iran and abroad to honour the victims of that flight.
Iranian authorities took three days to admit that the flight was shot down by IRGC forces, eventually blaming it on human error. It took two years for a court in Canada to award compensation for the victims.
About 176 passengers, 130 of Iranian nationality, died that night when the flight was shot down just minutes after take-off on the outskirts of Tehran. Iran’s former president Hassan Rouhani at the time called the tragedy a “disastrous mistake”.
Iran's foreign minister at the time apologised to the Iranian people and both men tried to distance themselves from the tragedy, laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of the IRGC.
Iran said operators who fired the missiles at the passenger aircraft mistook the passenger jet for a hostile aircraft had been on high alert amid escalating tensions with the US after its killing of Gen Qassem Suleimani.
What began as a vigil outside Amirkabir University in Tehran, turned into days of protests and clashes with police, the sadness of the nation quickly turning to anger. Protesters called the government shameless and deceptive and they called for legal action to be taken against those who shot down the plane.
On Iran's state-controlled media channel Irna, anchors expressed frustration with how the government handled the tragedy. One said: "They should have announced it sooner. No planes should have been able to take off that day.”
The editor-in-chief of the Tasnim news agency took to Twitter to criticise the government. Kian Abdollahi wrote: "The catastrophic way the information was spread to people is just as bad as the catastrophe itself, The officials who reported wrongly to the media are responsible. They make us all ashamed.”
While two years have passed, for many Iranians those dark days after Flight 752 was shot down mark a turning point in how they view their government. Cyrus Hamedani, who joined the vigils in Tehran in 2020, told The National while he was never a supporter of the government one could always find something that perhaps showed humanity, despite the bloody protest crackdowns and jailing of dissidents and reporters.
For him, that changed in 2020. "They didn't care. They didn't care what they had done and they lied,” he said.
Mr Hamedani is not alone in his feelings. One Tehran resident who spoke to The National said he does not believe that it was a mistake or human error. "They had ample time to hold the flight until safety concerns were cleared and they didn't," he said. "That's not a mistake, that is a calculated decision.”
For some such as Leily, 28, a student, the steps the Iranian government took after admitting the mistake were not enough. Her anger has not dulled with time.
“They barely held anyone accountable because they can't," she said. "The accountability comes from the top and no one at the top will be held responsible. They killed young people and then have the nerve to call them martyrs of the revolution.”
Iran's government at the end of 2020 offered the victims of the plane crash $150,000 in compensation but gave no timeline as to when it would pay the victims and has not yet made it clear if they have paid out any money to the families.
Now, a year after that offer, a Canadian court has ordered Iran to pay out $80 million dollars to the families of just six of the victims of the incident crash. Other families of the victims have said they are not looking for monetary compensation but for justice.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The five pillars of Islam
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
