January 8, 2020, was one of the most horrific days for the people of Iran. It had just been a few days since President Trump ordered a drone strike, killing General Qasem Soleimani while he was en route to meet the Prime Minister of Iraq. Tensions were very high and the government was outraged by the senseless attack.
Ukraine Fight PS752 had just taken off from Tehran when it was struck by two short-range missiles fired by the Iran Revolutionary Guard, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including children, students, and families.
For several days, the government denied any wrongdoing about the missile attack. It perpetuated the lie that the missiles accidentally struck the airliner and were fired in response to an alleged missile attack by the US military in Iraq. For five years the families of the victims have demanded accountability, truth, and justice and yet have continued to face more harassment and a complete lack of transparency.
Five years have gone by without any justice for these devastated families. Only recently, during a hearing at Tehran's Military Court, a commander of the IRGC Aerospace Defense finally admitted that the General Staff of the Armed Forces, acting on orders by the Supreme Leader, had deployed the Tor-M1 missile system in the path of the passenger plane.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has no regard for human life. The families know without a doubt that the foundation of this savage and oppressive government is built upon the graves of countless victims.
The following article about this devastating tragedy is featured in my book, "Shout Freedom: The Desperate Cry of Iranians," self-published on Amazon in 2020. This article takes you into the last hours of the innocent victims aboard Flight 752 and across the world to Canada to a grieving husband and father who lost his entire family in this unforgettable tragedy.
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Mojtaba Abbasnezhad leaned back in his seat, trying to relax. He was extremely anxious to return home to Canada after a nervous holiday in Tehran. The last few days had been filled with turmoil. Iran’s top general had been assassinated and there had been a national funeral. The government was outraged at President Trump and Mojtaba feared a swift retaliation. Dawn was breaking over the horizon and moments before takeoff, Mojtaba logged onto his Twitter account to send a message to his family:
“I predicted that the war would start right before my flight. Should anything happen, forgive me for my good and bad tweets.”
Mojtaba did not realize at
the time how absolutely accurate his prediction was! The successful PHD student
from Toronto had just posted his final tweet. Minutes later after takeoff, two
missiles struck Ukraine Flight 752 and ended the lives of 176 people.
The
Iranian government had just been humiliated before the watching world by The
United States when a deadly drone missile attack killed their top general on
January 3 in Baghdad. Now on January 8, just hours after the funeral, they
refused to remain silent with their grief. They launched a surprise missile
attack into Iraq determined to strike back against American troops. Most of the
missiles imploded and failed to reach their targets without inflicting any
casualties. However, two missiles unintentionally struck their
target, only it wasn’t against Americans, but instead against Iranians!
Immediately,
the deadly game of deception began! It was a game that Iran was very good
at! They had been successfully playing this game of deception for more than 40
years in the torture and execution of their own people! The official response to
the media was that Ukrainian Flight 752 had experienced some kind of mechanical
malfunction. It was a terrible tragedy and the government joined the victims of
the families in mourning their deaths. However, within a few hours, a video
surfaced on the internet that clearly showed that two missiles were involved in
bringing down the airline. The video showed the horror of the plane exploding
in mid-air and then seconds later, fiery debris began cascading down toward the
ground.
International
outrage from the world community demanded an answer! With their backs up
against the wall, the government was forced to admit that they had fired two
missiles believing that the United States were retaliating against their
attack. The missiles had unfortunately struck an innocent target.
An
incompetent, reckless, and murderous government had once again lied to its
people. In a desperate retaliation for the death of their general, the regime
instead brought more death and anguish upon innocent Iranians. Just a few
months earlier they had deliberately gunned down peaceful protesters in a mass
murder spree that in the end had claimed the lives of 1500 people! Now 176
innocent lives could be added to that list. Eighty-two Iranian Canadians, some
of them recently married and beginning a new life, were now among the victims in
a fiery mass of rubble, their dreams shattered by a corrupt and incompetent
government.
Hamed
Esmaelion, author and dentist, living in Richmond Hill Ontario, made one of the
most difficult phone calls of his life. He called the school and told them that
Reera, his nine-year-old daughter would be absent forever. Both his wife and
daughter had tragically perished in the plane crash and now he was alone trying
to pick up the pieces of his life. Struggling to cope with his painful loss,
Hamed posted a video on Twitter of Reera displaying her musical talent by
playing the piano at a recent recital. Reera was not only a gifted pianist but
also a gifted athlete, a wonderful soccer player, and a brilliant student who
was proficient in three languages, English, French, and Farsi.
Now
Hamed must make the most painful trip of his life by traveling to Tehran to
identify the remains of his loved ones.
Outraged protesters once again took to the streets demanding that the government be held accountable for the senseless deaths of 176 innocent people. Azadi Square, which is nicknamed, “Freedom Square,” was overflowing with angry and bitter Iranians. 41 years of lies, deception, and murders had pushed Iranians to the edge of the cliff. The foundations of this evil regime are filled with cracks revealing a government in chaos and confusion that is ready to implode!
The angry and desperate shouts of freedom reverberating throughout the cities
of Iran are now being heard all over the world. The media can no longer remain
silent about the Iranian cause. They must tell their story so that justice and
democracy can once again replace the cracked and evil foundation of this
oppressive reign of Mullahs!
