Azerbaijan to file lawsuits against Russia over Aktau plane crash
The plane was en route from Baku to Grozny, and crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, killing 38 people.
Three days after the crash, Aliyev said in an address to the nation that "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.' He later stated that Baku had made three demands to Russia in connection with the crash.
According to Azerbaijani media outlet Minval, 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 added 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 370 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
Aliyev claimed that Azerbaijan has a clear understanding of what happened to the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane, and that Russian officials also possess the same information. "The question arises: why don't they do as any neighbour would do in a similar situation?" he remarked.
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.
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