Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General Commented on the Investigations into the AZAL Plane Crash and the Killings of Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, announced that the criminal investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau on December 25 of last year is ongoing. He stated that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan are participating in the investigation.

Regarding the reports of torture and killings of Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg, Aliyev said that both the Azerbaijani Prosecutor's Office and Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating the case.

"We are cooperating with the Russian side on the allegations of unjustified use of force and torture. I believe this investigation will have a lawful and logical outcome," he emphasized.

Earlier, Aliyev noted that Russia is not providing specific information on the progress of the AZAL plane crash investigation.

As a reminder, the plane crash that occurred on December 25, 2024, near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, killed 38 of the 67 people on board. The causes of the crash have generated considerable debate, but the prevailing theory is that the plane came under fire from Russian air defense systems during an attack by Ukrainian drones in Chechnya. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced his intention to file an international lawsuit against Russia. He emphasized that Moscow has not admitted guilt or punished those responsible for the deaths.

On September 4, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that AZAL had received full compensation from AlfaStrakhovanie for the lost aircraft, amounting to approximately $12 million. Furthermore, according to the ministry's statement, the claims of 46 passengers have been fully settled. Negotiations regarding payment amounts are reportedly ongoing with the remaining victims and the relatives of the deceased.

In response to the Russian agency's publication, Aykhan Hajizade, head of the press service for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, stated that AZAL's insurance payments are unrelated to the compensation Baku is demanding from Moscow in connection with the plane crash. He called attempts to equate the two concepts inappropriate. According to him, the aftermath of the tragedy and the persecution of Azerbaijanis in Russia remain a source of tension between the countries.

On June 27, in Yekaterinburg, officers from the Russian National Guard, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Federal Security Service detained Azerbaijani citizens and individuals of Azerbaijani descent. They were suspected of involvement in previous crimes. Some of them were tortured, and two died – 60-year-old Huseyn Safarov and his brother, 55-year-old Ziyaddin Safarov. Baku also noted that other detainees had been tortured. Six were sent to pretrial detention. Subsequently, the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan opened a criminal case on the fact of torture and premeditated murder with particular cruelty of two citizens of the country and persons of Azerbaijani origin by Russian law enforcement officers.

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