President Aliyev: Azerbaijan to pursue justice for AZAL aircraft crash via international courts

President Ilham Aliyev has reiterated Azerbaijan’s demand for accountability regarding the shooting down of an AZAL Airlines aircraft over Russian airspace, underscoring the lack of response from Russian officials and announcing preparations to bring the case before the international judicial system.

Speaking at the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum, President Aliyev emphasized the gravity of the incident and expressed disappointment over Moscow’s continued silence seven months after the event, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“For us, everything is clear. We know what happened, and we can prove it. And we know that Russian officials know what happened,” Aliyev said. “The question is: why do they not do what any neighbor would do? Our requests or demands are absolutely natural: – Admit that this accident was their fault; – Punish those who shot down our plane; – Pay compensation to the families of the victims, to those who were wounded, and to AZAL for the loss of the plane.”

The President provided detailed remarks on the incident, disputing alternative explanations and highlighting the bravery of the pilots. “The idea that it was a Ukrainian drone that possibly hit the plane is absolutely ridiculous... There were two attacks on the plane. Can you imagine — a Ukrainian drone comes, targets an Azerbaijani plane, hits it, falls down, and then comes back again? That’s a story for kindergarten.”

He also criticized Russia for failing to promptly close the airspace, noting, “Russian airspace was not shut down. It was shut down several minutes after the plane was hit. That is also the responsibility of those who failed to announce the ‘KOVER’ operation to close the airspace.”

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General has repeatedly requested updates from Russia’s Investigative Committee, but all responses have been limited to the statement: “The investigation continues.” Stressing the importance of justice, he said, “We know this may take time. The Malaysian Boeing case took more than 10 years. So, we will wait for 10 years. But justice must be achieved.”

The unresolved issue, Aliyev acknowledged, “is not helpful for bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan,” highlighting the incident as a point of tension between the two neighboring countries.

In December 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft flying from Baku to Grozny, tragically crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, during an emergency landing. The flight was diverted due to severe weather and suffered critical damage from an external missile strike linked to Russian air defense systems operating in the area. The crash resulted in 38 fatalities, including both pilots who were later honoured as national heroes for their bravery.

By Vugar Khalilov