Rouhani Vows to Uncover Circumstances Behind Ukrainian Plane Crash

By Staff, Live Coverage

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the Judiciary Branch should form a special court to look into the case of the Ukrainian airliner that was downed mistakenly.

Speaking in the ceremony to commemorate the bests in national agriculture, Rouhani said that from the very moment he thought the crash was not a normal one, he tried hard to shorten the investigation time and understand well that how it happened. 

“We will continue our efforts to uncover the circumstances behind the Ukrainian plane crash incident,” the Iranian President said.

He said that as soon as he found out the facts, he wanted the officials to inform the people, adding that even if the plane had crashed in a normal way due to a technical difficulty, it would still be painful; but now that it became clear that a human error has caused it, it becomes more painful and unforgivable.

He went on to say, “The plane crash was an unforgivable mistake and I have issued a direct order informing the Iranian people of the circumstances surrounding the accident”.

Rouhani pointed out, “The US has a responsibility to find the conditions that led to the plane disaster, but that does not eliminate human error.”

He promised the bereaved families to pursue the case with all his ability, saying, “The Iranian people must be informed of the reasons behind the delay in announcing the causes of crash.”

He added that it was a good step that the military forces accepted their mistake and apologized for that, but other steps should be taken as well.

Rouhani said that more than one person is definitely responsible for shooting down the passenger plane.

He said that everyone knows that a mistake has been the root of the tragedy, but under what condition was the mistake made?

“Our people must know because we will determine who the wrongdoer is, and he will be punished regardless of his rank,” Rouhani explained.

It is not just the issue of the 176 people on board because Iran's air security is important too so those responsible for the incident must be punished, he said.

“As President, I will follow up on the next steps and the Iranian people will be informed of any results because what happened is related to Iran's security,” Rouhani added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani noted that the government feels equally responsible towards both Iranian and non-Iranians who perished aboard the flight.

What is most important is that people and the public opinion should make sure that such events will not happen again.

Rouhani said, “The Iranian people must be confident that this incident will not be repeated. I pledge that this painful incident will never happen again”.

The Iranian President concluded, “It was the US that threatened and sparked the unrest and caused the loss in lives”.