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5 Countries Demand Open Probe of Iran's Downing of Ukrainian Airliner

VOA News

   Five countries that lost citizens in the downing of a Ukrainian
   airliner are calling on Iran to conduct an open investigation and to
   provide compensation to the victims' families.

   The demands came from Ukraine, Canada, Afghanistan, Sweden and the
   United Kingdom after the foreign ministers of those countries met
   Thursday at the Canadian High Commission in London.

   The ministers called for "an independent criminal investigation
   followed by transparent and impartial judicial proceedings."

   The Ukraine International Airlines plane was mistakenly shot down Jan.
   8 by Iranian ballistic missiles shortly after takeoff from an airport
   in Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.

   Among the victims were 57 Canadians, 17 people from Sweden, 11
   Ukrainians, four Afghans, four British citizens and Iranians.

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