Latest news with #FlightPS752
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Winnipeg memorial honours victims of Flight PS752
A memorial honouring the 176 people who died on Flight PS752 in 2020 was unveiled in Winnipeg. A memorial honouring the 176 people who died on Flight PS752 in 2020 was unveiled in Winnipeg. A new memorial honouring the lives lost after a plane was shot down five years ago is now in place in Winnipeg. The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims unveiled a memorial Saturday in Scurfield Park to honour the 176 people who died on the flight. The Ukrainian Airlines flight was shot down shortly after taking off from Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020. The flight included 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents. 'One of the most important goals for our association has been to keep the memory and legacies of the loved ones (of) all the people (who) were on the plane alive, and make sure families and also the wider societies in Canada and around the world do not forget this,' said Kourosh Doustshenas, a spokesperson with the association. The memorial includes a stone wall inscribed with the names of all 176 victims on the side. The wall is surrounded by eight trees to represent the eight victims with ties to Winnipeg. Doustshenas noted three victims lived across the street from the park where the memorial was built. 'They were a husband and a wife and 10-year-old daughter and they didn't deserve to be killed like that,' he said. 'They had a whole life ahead of them.' Doustshenas said the memorial will act as a place of mourning, remembrance and a state of accountability. 'This was an atrocity, not only against our families, but also against the whole population, and no one should be allowed to basically kill Canadians and get away with it,' he said. The association has also planted 176 trees and shrubs in Whyte Ridge Park. Photo: A memorial honouring the victims of Flight PS752 is seen in Winnipeg on July 7, 2025. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg)
National Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Opinion: The Iranian regime's new war targets its own people
Article content It would send a powerful message to the Iranian people if their abusers were prosecuted rather than protected in Canada. This should be pursued even if only as a matter of Canadian public safety, given their efforts to carry out assassinations in Canada and harass the grieving Canadian families of Flight PS752 victims. IRGC members can be prosecuted under the Criminal Code for being members of a listed terrorist entity, and regime officials for their involvement in abuses under the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act. Article content Their presence in Canada is a unique opportunity to do so, and their many victims in Canada should be interviewed for evidence by the RCMP as part of a structural investigation, as was done with Ukrainians and victims of ISIS. Article content Canada should also consider expanding targeted sanctions against the architects of repression in Iran, starting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Article content At the very least, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian government can speak out for the people of Iran, and continue our traditional diplomatic role of convening our allies to do the same. Article content Article content The regional war may have filled the headlines, but it is the regime's new war against the Iranian people that will define its legacy — and our own. Our shared democratic values, and the vision of a brighter future for Iran and the region, are represented by the civil society leaders languishing in the dungeons of Tehran. And their tormentors represent grave threats to the human rights and security of both Iranians and Canadians. Article content As the Islamic Republic continues its crackdown, platforming the plight of the Iranian people and political prisoners — and holding their persecutors accountable — can be Canada's greatest contribution to protecting our sovereignty from transnational repression and helping to build a more stable and peaceful Middle East.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Winnipeg memorial site for Flight PS752 victims 'a powerful step' toward justice: family members
Canadians who lost loved ones when a passenger plane was shot down in Tehran in 2020 say a new memorial site in Winnipeg is a powerful step toward honouring the lives of their loved ones. A memorial site featuring a stone wall with the names of 176 people onboard Flight PS752 was unveiled in south Winnipeg at Scurfield Park on Saturday. Fifty-five Canadian citizens were killed, including eight from Winnipeg's Iranian community. Kourosh Doustshenas, president and founder of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, says it's the first memorial to be erected in honour of Flight PS752 victims anywhere in the world. Doustshenas lost his fiancée, Dr. Forough Khadem, when Flight PS752 was shot down moments after takeoff from Tehran's international airport on Jan. 8, 2020. It was brought down by two Iranian surface-to-air missiles launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "Still, every day, I live thinking about her, and everything I do is in her honour," Doustshenas told host Nadia Kidwai during a Saturday interview with CBC Radio's Weekend Morning Show. "She could have done so much more in the world, and it's been taken so soon." Doustshenas says Scurfield Park was also chosen as the site for the new memorial because a family of three who were on Flight PS752 — Mohammad Mahdi Sadeghi, Bahareh Hajesfandiari and their daughter, Anisa Sadeghi — had lived across the street. "We decided that's the right place to do it," Doustshenas said. Liberal MP Terry Duguid, who represents Winnipeg South riding, said the tragedy "hit close to home," and he lived two blocks away from the Sadeghi and Hajesfandiari family. "This is not abstract for us. We lost neighbours, we lost friends," Duguid said. Duguid read a statement on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, offering condolences to the families and reiterating the federal government's commitment to challenging Iran at the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization. "The path to justice is long, but justice will prevail and all of us will be there with you on that important journey," Duguid said. Many family members at the memorial unveiling in Winnipeg on Saturday had travelled from Richmond Hill, Ont., which lost 44 community members on Flight PS752. Richmond Hill Mayor David West said it was the largest mass loss of life in a single day in the city's history. "Through this first memorial, we honour the past, we support the present, and we shape a more just future," West said during the ceremony, adding Richmond Hill is also working toward establishing a permanent memorial for the victims. Azadeh Heidaripour flew in from Richmond Hill to honour the life of her 21-year-old son Amir Moradi, who was a student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. "It's really hard to see your only child's name here," Heidaripour said. "My life has two parts. One part before this tragedy, and one part after. I lost all my hope, I lost my future. I lost everything," she said. She said she and her husband had been visiting Iran with Amir, but he flew back to Canada two days ahead of them. Heidaripour said that she has bonded with other parents who lost their children on Flight PS752 and they are working together to demand answers and get justice for their loved ones. "We need to find out what happened to our kids, why they are not here," she said. Richmond Hill resident Hamed Esmaeilion, who is a board member with the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, said he has lived through "2,000 days of pain" since his wife Parisa Eghbalian and nine-year-old daughter Reera Esmaeilion were killed onboard. He said he has dedicated the rest of his life to keeping their legacy alive. "We promised ourselves, we promised all these victims that we'll go to the end of this journey," Esmaeilion said. Maral Gorginpour, who is also an association board member, lost her husband Fareed Arasteh just days after they were married. She flew in from Toronto to see his name etched into the memorial's stone. "It was an emotional moment," Gorginpour said. In a speech at the memorial unveiling, association president Doustshenas said the site will serve many needs for grieving community members, as "a place of reflection, of remembrance and of resistance." He said that every day since he lost his fiancée has been filled with pain, but also a driving purpose to keep her memory alive and seek accountability from the Iranian regime. "Let this place serve as a reminder that we will not rest until justice is done. We will not allow truth to be buried and we will never allow the memory of our loved ones to fade without seeking justice," Doustshenas said. "The unveiling of this permanent memorial site here in Winnipeg is a powerful step in fulfilling that promise," he said.
CBC
06-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Winnipeg memorial site for Flight PS752 victims 'a powerful step' toward justice: family members
Social Sharing Canadians who lost loved ones when a passenger plane was shot down in Tehran in 2020 say a new memorial site in Winnipeg is a powerful step toward honouring the lives of their loved ones. A memorial site featuring a stone wall with the names of 176 people onboard Flight PS752 was unveiled in south Winnipeg at Scurfield Park on Saturday. Fifty-five Canadian citizens were killed, including eight from Winnipeg's Iranian community. Kourosh Doustshenas, president and founder of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, says it's the first memorial to be erected in honour of Flight PS752 victims anywhere in the world. Doustshenas lost his fiancée, Dr. Forough Khadem, when Flight PS752 was shot down moments after takeoff from Tehran's international airport on Jan. 8, 2020. It was brought down by two Iranian surface-to-air missiles launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "Still, every day, I live thinking about her, and everything I do is in her honour," Doustshenas told host Nadia Kidwai during a Saturday interview with CBC Radio's Weekend Morning Show. "She could have done so much more in the world, and it's been taken so soon." Doustshenas says Scurfield Park was also chosen as the site for the new memorial because a family of three who were on Flight PS752 — Mohammad Mahdi Sadeghi, Bahareh Hajesfandiari and their daughter, Anisa Sadeghi — had lived across the street. "We decided that's the right place to do it," Doustshenas said. Liberal MP Terry Duguid, who represents Winnipeg South riding, said the tragedy "hit close to home," and he lived two blocks away from the Sadeghi and Hajesfandiari family. "This is not abstract for us. We lost neighbours, we lost friends," Duguid said. Duguid read a statement on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, offering condolences to the families and reiterating the federal government's commitment to challenging Iran at the International Court of Justice and the International Civil Aviation Organization. "The path to justice is long, but justice will prevail and all of us will be there with you on that important journey," Duguid said. Many family members at the memorial unveiling in Winnipeg on Saturday had travelled from Richmond Hill, Ont., which lost 44 community members on Flight PS752. Richmond Hill Mayor David West said it was the largest mass loss of life in a single day in the city's history. "Through this first memorial, we honour the past, we support the present, and we shape a more just future," West said during the ceremony, adding Richmond Hill is also working toward establishing a permanent memorial for the victims. Azadeh Heidaripour flew in from Richmond Hill to honour the life of her 21-year-old son Amir Moradi, who was a student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. "It's really hard to see your only child's name here," Heidaripour said. "My life has two parts. One part before this tragedy, and one part after. I lost all my hope, I lost my future. I lost everything," she said. She said she and her husband had been visiting Iran with Amir, but he flew back to Canada two days ahead of them. Heidaripour said that she has bonded with other parents who lost their children on Flight PS752 and they are working together to demand answers and get justice for their loved ones. "We need to find out what happened to our kids, why they are not here," she said. Richmond Hill resident Hamed Esmaeilion, who is a board member with the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, said he has lived through "2,000 days of pain" since his wife Parisa Eghbalian and nine-year-old daughter Reera Esmaeilion were killed onboard. He said he has dedicated the rest of his life to keeping their legacy alive. "We promised ourselves, we promised all these victims that we'll go to the end of this journey," Esmaeilion said. Maral Gorginpour, who is also an association board member, lost her husband Fareed Arasteh just days after they were married. She flew in from Toronto to see his name etched into the memorial's stone. "It was an emotional moment," Gorginpour said. In a speech at the memorial unveiling, association president Doustshenas said the site will serve many needs for grieving community members, as "a place of reflection, of remembrance and of resistance." He said that every day since he lost his fiancée has been filled with pain, but also a driving purpose to keep her memory alive and seek accountability from the Iranian regime. "Let this place serve as a reminder that we will not rest until justice is done. We will not allow truth to be buried and we will never allow the memory of our loved ones to fade without seeking justice," Doustshenas said. "The unveiling of this permanent memorial site here in Winnipeg is a powerful step in fulfilling that promise," he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘My life is destroyed'
Loved ones let their tears fall freely on Saturday morning during the unveiling of the first permanent memorial in Canada dedicated to the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752. The catastrophe that claimed the lives of 176 people (including nine from Winnipeg) and an unborn child on Jan. 8, 2020, began when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — whom the Canadian government named a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code as of last year — shot down the aircraft near Tehran, Iran, shortly after takeoff. Saturday's commemoration at Scurfield Park in south Winnipeg marked day 2,000 since the lives of those connected to the victims were forever changed, including that of Azadeh Heydaripour, whose son was on Flight PS752. 'I cannot see any future in my life, because I've lost everything,' said Heydaripour. 'When you lose your only child, and you work so hard to grow him up to be a good human in this world, and lose him in just two minutes… My life is destroyed.' Heydaripour's son, Amir, was 21, studying at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., when his life was unexpectedly taken. She couldn't help but break into tears once she saw his name etched in stone with the other 175 victims. 'These are not just names. This means my son is here forever,' she said. 'Moms need a place to go to see, to cry, to love, and to remember them. Now, my home is the only place I can come to see him. He is here forever, and this will stick with me forever.' 'Justice is a common cause' was the phrase commonly used while members of the Iranian community shared their thoughts during the memoriam. Heydaripour said not a day has passed when justice hasn't been on her mind. 'Since the first day this happened, the only thing that has led me to continue this life is justice,' she said. 'We are fighting for it, and we are not going to step back until we get it for everyone.' Canada has been one of many nations — along with the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Ukraine — that have vowed to seek answers about the crash, holding the Iranian military accountable for their actions, which they are yet to claim accountability for. Maral Groginpour believes part of achieving justice is remembering those who were killed. 'They deserve to be remembered for who they were,' Groginpour said. 'As you can see on the stone, it's written that it's an open wound in the sky. That open wound means it is bleeding every day in our hearts for the loved ones we have lost.' Groginpour lost her husband, Fared Arasteh, just days after they had gotten married. Arasteh, 32, was a PhD student in biology at Ottawa's Carleton University. She felt mixed emotions as she gently tucked a bright rose under his name on the headstone. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I felt the anger of the injustice, the anger of how our lives were ruined, but at the same time, a closure that I can finally see him be remembered and have his name honoured,' Groginpour said. Building the memorial took around three and a half years, according to Kourosh Doustshenas, the co-project manager and spokesman of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims. City councillors and legislative members, including Terry Duguid, David Pankratz, Obby Khan, and Janice Lukes, also came to show their support for the lives lost nearly six years ago. 'Their memories will live on, but it's not enough to have just the memories. The fight for justice must continue,' said Khan, leader of the official opposition.
