THE CASE TIMELINE
A complete chronological record tracking the path from the attack on January 8, 2020 to active international legal proceedings at the ICJ, ICC, and ICAO.
Affected States File Counter-Memorial in Iran’s ICAO Appeal
Forum: International Court of Justice, The Hague
Six Years of Families’ Advocacy Help Secure Landmark ICAO Reform
After six years of sustained advocacy by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, supported internationally by Canada, the ICAO Council adopted Amendment 20 to Annex 13. The reform addresses conflicts of interest in aircraft accident investigations and strengthens their independence, transparency, and credibility. Canada’s Minister of Transport formally acknowledged the Association’s significant role in achieving this milestone. The amendment takes effect on November 23, 2028.
FORUM: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
ICAOAffected States File Counter-Memorial in Iran’s ICAO Appeal
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom filed their Counter-Memorial responding to Iran’s appeal of the ICAO Council’s jurisdictional decision in the Chicago Convention case.
Forum: International Court of Justice, The Hague
ACTIVE — ICAO PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGFour States Respond to Iran’s Preliminary Objections
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom filed their written response opposing Iran’s jurisdictional and admissibility objections in the Montreal Convention case.
Forum: International Court of Justice, The Hague
ICAOIran Appeals ICAO Jurisdiction Decision to the ICJ
Iran filed an appeal at the International Court of Justice challenging the ICAO Council’s decision that it had jurisdiction. The underlying ICAO proceeding was paused pending the ICJ’s ruling on the appeal.
Track: ICJ — ICAO Appeal
ACTIVE — ICAO PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGICAO Council Rejects Iran’s Jurisdictional Objection
The ICAO Council accepted jurisdiction over the Chicago Convention dispute, allowing the case against Iran to proceed.
Forum: ICAO Council
ICAOIran Challenges ICJ Jurisdiction in Montreal Convention Case
Iran filed preliminary objections challenging the ICJ’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of the four states’ case. Under the Court’s rules, proceedings on the merits were suspended while these objections are decided.
Forum: International Court of Justice, The Hague
ACTIVE — ICJ PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGICJ Memorial and Supporting Annexes Filed Against Iran
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom filed their Memorial and supporting annexes in the International Court of Justice case concerning Iran’s alleged breaches of the 1971 Montreal Convention. The confidential filing sets out the applicants’ factual case, legal arguments, evidence, and requested remedies. Proceedings on the merits were subsequently suspended after Iran filed preliminary objections challenging the Court’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of the case.
Forum: International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Hague
ICJChicago Convention Case Filed with ICAO Council
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom jointly initiated formal dispute-settlement proceedings against Iran before the ICAO Council. The case alleges that Iran violated Article 3 bis of the Chicago Convention by using weapons against a civil aircraft in flight.
Forum: ICAO Council
ACTIVE — ICAO PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGFour States File PS752 Case at the International Court of Justice
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom jointly filed an application instituting proceedings against Iran before the International Court of Justice. The applicants allege that Iran violated multiple obligations under the 1971 Montreal Convention, including obligations to prevent and punish offences against civil aviation and to conduct an impartial, transparent, and fair investigation and prosecution.
Forum: International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Hague
ACTIVE — ICJ PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGIran Issues Verdicts in Widely Condemned Military Trial
An Iranian military court announced convictions against several lower-ranking personnel. Families and the Coordination Group rejected the proceedings as a sham that lacked independence, transparency, and accountability for senior officials.
Forum: Iranian Military Court
Binding Arbitration Requested Under the Montreal Convention
Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom formally requested that Iran submit the Flight PS752 dispute to binding arbitration under Article 14 of the 1971 Montreal Convention. The parties did not reach an agreement on organizing the arbitration within the required six-month period, clearing the way for the affected states to bring the dispute before the International Court of Justice.
FORUM: Montreal Convention Dispute-Settlement Process
ICAOAssociation Submits PS752 Complaint to the ICC Prosecutor
The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims submitted an Article 15 communication to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, requesting examination of potential individual criminal responsibility for the downing of Flight PS752. The submission does not itself constitute a formally opened ICC investigation or court case, and no public ICC decision opening a PS752 investigation has been announced.
FORUM: Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court
ACTIVE — ICC PROCEEDINGS ONGOINGCoordination Group Declares Negotiations with Iran Futile
After Iran repeatedly refused to negotiate over reparations and accountability, the Coordination Group formally concluded that further negotiations were futile and announced that it would pursue dispute-settlement mechanisms under international law.
Forum: International Coordination and Response Group
Canadian Forensic Report Holds Iran Fully Responsible
Canada’s forensic examination concluded that decisions, actions, and omissions by Iranian civilian and military officials led to the destruction of Flight PS752. It found Iran failed to protect its airspace and that its command-and-control system failed to prevent the missile launches.
Forum: Government of Canada Forensic Examination
CanadaAffected States Formally Invoke Iran’s Responsibility
The PS752 Coordination Group delivered a formal notice of claim to Iran, invoking Iran’s state responsibility and demanding a full account of the downing, a public apology, return of victims’ belongings, guarantees of non-repetition, transparent prosecutions, and compensation.
Forum: State-to-State Reparations Process
CanadaOntario Court Rules Downing Was an Act of Terrorism
In a default judgment involving several victims’ families, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the missile attack on Flight PS752 was intentional and constituted an act of terrorism under Canadian law. Iran did not participate in the proceeding. A separate judgment issued in January 2022 awarded the plaintiffs C$107 million, plus interest and costs.
Forum: Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada
CA CourtBlack Boxes Finally Delivered to France
More than six months after the downing, Iran sent the aircraft’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders to France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety for technical read-out. The recovered data showed that both recorders stopped operating approximately 19 seconds after the first missile struck the aircraft.
Iran Admits to Shooting Down PS752
After three days of denials and mounting international pressure, Iran admitted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched the missiles that brought down Flight PS752. Iranian authorities attributed the attack to “human error,” but the families and affected governments have rejected Iran’s account as incomplete and unsupported by a transparent and independent investigation.
The Attack on Flight PS752
Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was struck by two Tor-M1 surface-to-air missiles launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly after departing Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. All 176 passengers and crew aboard were killed. One unborn child also died, bringing the number of victims commemorated by the Association to 177.
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Follow the latest developments in the pursuit of justice for the families of Flight PS752.