Justin Trudeau is scheduled to attend a vigil in Edmonton today to pay his respects and mourn the loss of the victims of the Ukrainian jetliner crash in Iran.
The prime minister will also be speaking at this afternoonB次元官网网址檚 memorial service at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
There were 57 Canadians among the 176 people killed in last WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 tragedy, including 13 from the Edmonton area.
Another vigil to honour the victims will be held later this morning at the University of TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Convocation Hall.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has acknowledged that an Iranian missile shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 minutes after it took off from TehranB次元官网网址檚 airport. IranB次元官网网址檚 military said the plane was mistaken for a hostile target.
Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa Saturday he was B次元官网网址渙utraged and furiousB次元官网网址� that so many Canadians are grieving because of IranB次元官网网址檚 actions, and that Iran must take B次元官网网址渇ull responsibilityB次元官网网址� for the B次元官网网址渉orrificB次元官网网址� incident.
B次元官网网址淭his is a tragedy that should not have happened,B次元官网网址� he said, and he called for an immediate effort to de-escalate the regional tensions that he says contributed to the B次元官网网址済reat loss of innocent life.B次元官网网址�
In addition to the 57 Canadian citizens on the plane, dozens more were bound for Canada, many of them students and professors returning after spending the December break visiting relatives in Iran.
Rouhani spoke with Trudeau by phone Saturday after posting on Twitter that investigations would continue to B次元官网网址渋dentify and prosecute this great tragedy and unforgivable mistake.B次元官网网址�
Trudeau said he told Rouhani he expected Canada to be fully involved in the investigation including gaining access to the airplaneB次元官网网址檚 black boxes, and being allowed to participate in DNA identification of the victims. He also demanded consular access for Canadian officials to work with grieving families of Canadian victims in Iran.
Three officials from Global Affairs Canada landed in Tehran Saturday to set up the first Canadian consular presence on the ground since the crash happened. Seven more diplomats and two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were also waiting for visas to travel to Iran to help.
Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in September 2012, closing its embassy and recalling all diplomats. With no diplomatic presence, Italy and Turkey have been aiding Canadians in Tehran.
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