Iran considers dual nationals aboard a Ukrainian plane that was shot down accidentally this month to be Iranian citizens, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.
Iran does not recognize dual nationality. Many of the 176 people killed in the disaster were Iranians with dual citizenship. Canada had 57 citizens on board.
“We have informed Canada that Tehran considers dual nationals who were killed in the plane crash as Iranian citizens … Iran is mourning their deaths,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a televised weekly news conference.
As protests erupted in Iran over the plane disaster, the British ambassador in Tehran was briefly detained. Officials said he was at an “illegal” rally, while the envoy said he was attending a vigil for victims. Britain criticized his detention.
“Iran respects all foreign diplomats in Iran as long as they do not violate international laws,” Mousavi said.
Aurel Braun, professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said Iran’s statement was tantamount to denying the Canadian citizenship of those killed.
“It complicates co-operation [with Canada] when recovering remains and investigating the crash. It just makes everything vastly more difficult,” Braun told CBC News.
Refusing to acknowledge dual citizenship was a “matter of control,” and a signal to those travelling the country that they are subject to the “whims of the totality of the regime’s power,” he said.
“It is a fear of external interference.”
Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office told CBC News that Canada has had assurance from Iran that the deceased families’ wishes would be respected regarding where remains would go.
“We continue to expect that that will be the case and have been clear with the Iranians about that expectation,” spokesman Adam Austen said.