In a decision that paves the way for relatives to seek compensation, an Ontario court has ruled Iran's military shootdown of a passenger jet carrying dozens of Canadians was an intentional act of terrorism.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba found, on a balance of probabilities, that the missiles that shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in January of last year were fired deliberately at a time when there was no armed conflict in the area.
The ruling says that while the State Immunity Act protects foreign states from legal claims, the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act provides an exception in cases where the losses are caused by terrorist activity.