Ordeal of the downed Ukrainian plane victims’ families
December 18, 2020, 7:55 am

Ordeal of the downed Ukrainian plane victims’ families

okrania

Father of one of the victims of the downed Ukrainian plane called the commander of the Revolutionary Guards air force and Mohammad Javad Zarif a "criminal." He made the remarks on the eve of the anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian plane and at a protest gathering of families of victims.

Mourning for the victims of downed Ukrainian plane

According to reports, several families of the victims of downed Ukrainian plane gathered in Tehran Military Court on Monday, December 14, and strongly protested lack of punishment of perpetrators of this incident.

On January 8, 2020 A passenger plane of Ukrainian International Airlines was shot down by two missiles of IRGC Air Defense System shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport. All 176 people on board died in this incident.

During a protest rally on Monday at the military courthouse of Maryam Malek's father, one of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash explicitly called Amir Ali Haji Zadeh, IRGC air force commander, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister, "criminals" and called for the trial of those who played a role in downing of this passenger plane.

Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite the evidence and reports that showed IRGC air defense missiles hit the plane and caused it to crash, strongly denied these reports until January 11 of last year, despite being fully aware of the cause of crash. And provided false information.

Amir Ali Haji Zadeh, commander of the IRGC Air Force, claimed responsibility for the catastrophic mistake with a three-day delay in a televised interview, saying that an IRGC air defense system official had "mistakenly identified the Ukrainian passenger plane" as a cruise missile and fired at it.

Maryam Malek's father has criticized the officials for not allowing the families to participate in the investigation and clarification of the facts. Since they are the one who lost their loved ones and now because of their sorrow they are just like walking dead!

Criticism of handing over investigation to "criminals"

Calling people like Haji Zadeh involved in the investigation "criminal", he said: "How can a handful of criminals take part in the investigation, how can a knife cut its handle. Is it possible? Does the IRGC Air force commander, whose hands is tainted with the blood of our children, allow the investigation to be carried out properly?"

Mr. Malek also asks why during this period the IRGC Air Force Commander who has "direct military responsibility" was not fired?

Maryam Malek's father said in the Tehran Military Court: "Our demand is the military prosecutor to remove all those responsible; "from the head of Civil Aviation Authority, the IRGC commander of Air force, the commander of IRGC , and everyone, especially the criminal who is Minister of Foreign Affairs ."

A year of living in the darkness

"I will open my chest and beg you to order me to be arrested here, to be executed here," he added. “I do not want to live after my child, I do not want anything. We are all dead, none of us want to live. It's been almost a year now and we only have been living in the darkness."

Mr. Malek accused the officials of the Islamic Republic of cover up and secrecy, he added: "In our opinion, all this is a play." Criticizing the negligence of the authorities in protecting the belongings of the victims, he told the judge of the Disciplinary Court: "Mr. Judge, tell me what you did to looters of belongings of our children?"

Destruction of the remaining mobile phones of victims

He also accused local police and police officers of "smashing" and destroying the mobile phones left by the victims in their possession, and asked, "Where is the memory of our children?"

Officials of the Islamic Republic, who for months refused to provide the black boxes of the downed passenger plane of Tehran-Kiev flight, after more than 11 months still refuse to publish the full details of the incident and deal with officials responsible for firing IRGC missiles.

It was recently announced that the government intends to allocate 200 million euros in the next year budget from National Development Fund to compensate the Ukrainian airline and families for downing of the plane.

The announcement of the budget for compensation sparked a lot of discussion inside Iran, and Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Yenin announced in a radio interview last week that Iran has withdrawn its compensation offer.

Many families of Ukraine International Flight 572 have repeatedly said that it is more important for them to clarify the details of how the plane was targeted and to identify and punish those responsible for the disaster than to receive compensation.

By Cyrus Yaqubi

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.