Relatives of late flight attendant demand punishment for those behind AZAL crash PHOTO

The relatives of the perished National Hero Hokuma Aliyeva killed in the AZAL plane crash have called for accountability for those responsible.

Jalil Aliyev, father of Hokuma Aliyeva, told reporters that the perpetrators must be punished, Caliber.Az report via local outlets.

He also emphasised the state’s support for the family: “Hokuma was always saying she was from Kalbajar. By the will of fate, President Ilham Aliyev gifted Hokuma’s family a home in Kalbajar,” he said.

Speaking at the II Alley of Honor, Hokuma’s brother, Joshgun Nasibli, praised her heroism. “We will be proud of my sister's heroism for the rest of our lives. We knew from childhood that she was a selfless person. In today's world, everyone learns about European culture and how to dress from Europe. Hokuma proved to the world that Europe can learn heroism from Azerbaijani women,” he said.

He noted that such an event occurs once every 200 years: “My sister had been a patient person since childhood and her student years. She showed the same patience during the plane crash — she urged people not to panic and died heroically.”

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed 3 km from Aktau, Kazakhstan. Preliminary investigations indicate that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system while approaching Grozny.

There were 67 people on board—62 passengers and five crew members—including 42 Azerbaijani citizens (37 passengers, five crew), 16 Russians, six Kazakh citizens, and three Kyrgyz citizens. The crash claimed 38 lives, while 29 survived. Among the deceased were the aircraft commander Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Khokuma Aliyeva.

By Khagan Isayev