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Azerbaijan is preparing to file lawsuits against Russia in international courts over the downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 near the Kazakh city of Aktau in December last year, President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday, accusing Moscow of stalling the investigation and failing to respond meaningfully to Baku’s demands.
The crash, which occurred on 25 December 2023 as the AZAL flight travelled from Baku to Grozny, killed all 38 people on board. Three days later, Aliyev publicly stated, “we can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia (…) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done.”
Seven months on, no answers
Aliyev said that despite the “clear as day” circumstances of the incident, Azerbaijan has received no substantial reply from Russia. He noted that Baku’s prosecutor general had contacted the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, only to be told that “the investigation is ongoing.”
Calling this position counterproductive, Aliyev said Azerbaijan had informed Russia of its plans to prepare a legal dossier for international proceedings. Drawing a comparison with the protracted probe into Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, he said, “We are ready to wait ten years, but justice must win.”
“The situation, which is currently in limbo, does not contribute to the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan,” Aliyev warned, according to a report by Euronews.
Baku demands admission, prosecution, and compensation
The Azerbaijani leader reiterated that both Baku and Moscow had “a clear understanding” of what happened to Flight 8243, and questioned why Russia had not responded “as any neighbour would do in a similar situation.”
Aliyev laid out four demands: a guilty plea from Russia, prosecution of those responsible for firing the missile, compensation to the victims’ families, and damages to be paid to the national carrier AZAL.
On 4 February, a preliminary Azerbaijani government report confirmed that a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system shot down the aircraft. According to Azerbaijani officials speaking to Euronews shortly after the crash, a Russian surface-to-air missile was responsible for the incident.
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