Azerbaijan to Pursue International Legal Action Against Russia Over Downing of AZAL Plane

Ilham Aliyev

Azerbaijan is preparing to take its case against Russia to international courts following the December 2024 crash of an AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) aircraft in Kazakhstan, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people. President Ilham Aliyev announced this decision during his address at the Shusha Media Forum in Khankendi on July 19, citing a lack of cooperation and a "non-productive" stance from Moscow over the past seven months.

The incident, which occurred on December 25, 2024, involved an AZAL aircraft operating a flight from Baku to Grozny. While Azerbaijani officials have stated that Russia was responsible for the crash, they have also clarified that the act was not intentional. The crash immediately sparked tensions between the two nations.

According to President Aliyev, Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, has "regularly" sent inquiries to the Russian Investigative Committee regarding the crash. However, the consistent response has been that "the investigation is ongoing." President Aliyev expressed frustration with this delay, stating, "Everything is clear to us; we know what happened. We can prove it, and we know that Russian officials are also aware of the matter. The question is: why didn't they take the action that every neighbor should take in a similar case?"

Azerbaijan is demanding an admission of guilt from Russia, the punishment of those responsible for shooting down the plane, and compensation for the families of the deceased and injured, as well as for the destroyed AZAL aircraft. President Aliyev emphasized that this is a "natural demand."

The preliminary report on the crash, released by the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan in early February, indicated that the AZAL aircraft was subjected to an "external impact" before colliding with the ground. Crucially, the report also confirmed that the plane's technical condition was sound before the flight. Azerbaijani pro-government media have further alleged that after the plane was struck, it was prevented from making an emergency landing on Russian territory, purportedly to ensure it crashed into the Caspian Sea and eliminate evidence.

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to President Aliyev in a phone conversation for the incident occurring on Russian territory, he reportedly did not admit his country's responsibility for the crash.

President Aliyev acknowledged that pursuing justice through international legal channels would be a lengthy process, drawing a parallel to the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, which took over a decade. "We are preparing a certain dossier. We know this takes time... But we will achieve this justice," he affirmed.

The President's recent statements did not address the separate, recent tensions that arose from the deaths and arrests of Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg at the end of last month. The focus remains squarely on the ongoing legal and diplomatic dispute surrounding the December 2024 plane crash.