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Radiofarda – Iran’s transportation minister has reiterated that the black-box recorders of the downed Ukrainian plane will stay in Iran and if there is a need for deciphering the information Tehran can ask for assistance from other countries.
Mohammad Eslami was speaking on the sidelines of the weekly cabinet meeting in Tehran and Tasnim news agency has published a video of his remarks.
Eslmai insisted since the incident happened in Iran, the information contained in the flight recorders must be investigated by Iranian authorities who have taken steps to secure “hardware and software” necessary to complete the work.
Earlier, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization had announced it was seeking equipment from the United States and France for getting access to the information.
The minister added that if Iranian experts encounter a problem, they can decide how and from where to seek assistance. Iran insists that foreign experts can be present during the examination of the flight recorders but the issue is the lack of the necessary equipment.
Both Ukraine and Canada have repeatedly asked Iran to release the flight recorders for competent analysis. Iran is not equipped to access and analyze the black boxes. Eslami’s statement appears to be an indirect response to the two countries most affected by the tragedy.
Dozens of Canadian citizens of Iranian descent were on the flight returning to Canada. Overall, 176 people dies when on January 8 Iranian air defense forces shot down the Boeing 737 taking off on a regular flight from Tehran’s airport, in what the military has said was “a mistake”.
