Azerbaijan to file international lawsuits against Russia over Aktau plane crash, president says

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced that his country is preparing to file lawsuits in international courts against Russia regarding the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 plane crash near Aktau on 25 December last year.

The plane was en route from Baku to Grozny and crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, killing 38 people. 

Aliyev said on Saturday that even though the circumstances of the incident are "as clear as day", Azerbaijan has received no meaningful response from Russia, seven months after the crash.

Aliyev claimed that Azerbaijan has a clear understanding of what happened to the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane, "we know what happened, and we can prove it. And we know that Russian officials know what happened," Aliyev said speaking to media at a press event moderated by Jane Witherspoon, Euronews Bureau Chief in the Middle East.

"The question is: why do they not do what any neighbour would do? Our requests or demands are absolutely natural: Admit that this accident was their fault," he remarked.

Aliyev noted that the Azerbaijani prosecutor general has sent requests to the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, and has thus far only been informed that "the investigation is ongoing." He described this stance as counterproductive and reaffirmed Baku’s intention to seek international justice.

Azerbaijan has therefore informed Russia of its preparation of a dossier for a corresponding lawsuit, said Aliyev.

Referring to the investigation into the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash, which claimed 239 victims in 2014 and whose subsequent inquiry has lasted over a decade, he said "We are ready to wait ten years, but justice must win. And unfortunately, the situation, which is currently in limbo, does not contribute to the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan."

Aliyev lays out Azerbaijan's demands

Azerbaijan's demands, according to Aliyev, are a guilty plea from Russia, prosecution of those responsible for downing the plane, payment of compensation to the families of the victims and compensation for damages suffered by AZAL.

On 4 February, a preliminary official report released by the Azerbaijani government showed that the plane had indeed been shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system.

Azerbaijani government sources exclusively confirmed to Euronews as early as 26 December that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the plane to crash.

Aliyev's statement comes just hours after he reiterated Baku's unwavering support to Ukraine.

"Azerbaijan unequivocally supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognised borders," the Azerbaijani leader said in a statement as reported by local media.