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UKRAINIAN PLANE CRASH IN IRAN

Decryption of black boxes of downed Ukrainian plane will take place in Iran

The data provided by Iran would be analyzed in Kiev with the aid of French, Canadian and US experts, according to the investigation official

© EPA-EFE/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. The decryption of black boxes from the downed Ukraine International Airlines plane will take place in Iran, Fars News Agency informed on Wednesday, citing Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami.

According to the minister, "the decryption of black boxes from the Ukrainian plane that crashed near Tehran will be held on the territory of Iran." Eslami explained that currently "the hardware and software needed is being prepared."

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"Black box is an inseparable part of investigations into the incident and the incident has happened in Iran and the Iran Civil Aviation Organization is responsible to probe the incident, and this [investigation] is underway," he said.

On Monday, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization's Aircraft Accident Investigation Board Hassan Rezaeifar informed that the Iranian government would hand over the information from the crashed plane’s black boxes to Ukraine. He noted that the data provided by Iran would be analyzed in Kiev with the aid of French, Canadian and US experts. Rezaeifar added that Tehran’s step had come in response to a request by the Ukrainian government.

On January 8, Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 plane travelling from Tehran to Kiev went down near the Iranian capital shortly after takeoff from Imam Khomeini International Airport. All people onboard, 167 passengers and 9 crewmembers, were killed. On January 11, Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff released a statement admitting the plane had been mistakenly shot down. According to Iranian Brigadier-General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the plane was misidentified as a cruise missile by the air defense force.

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