The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum has sent an open letter to Russia’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mikhail Yevdokimov.
APA reports that the letter relates to correspondence from Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, addressed to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General concerning the AZAL aircraft incident, which has been made public in the media.
"We - the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, which brings together hundreds of Azerbaijani non-governmental organisations - are addressing you in connection with the letter from Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan regarding the AZAL aircraft incident, which has been publicised in the media.
At a time when Azerbaijani society expects Russia’s investigative authorities to identify those responsible for the AZAL aircraft that was struck by missiles fired from a Pantsir-S1 air-defence system in the skies over Grozny on 25 December 2024 and to impose the severest punishment on them, Alexander Bastrykin’s announcement that the criminal case has been closed is incomprehensible and unacceptable.
Disregarding photographic evidence and video footage, and claiming that the aircraft was allegedly unable to land in Grozny due to adverse weather conditions, amounts to trampling on the memory of innocent people who were killed or injured in the incident and applauding those who opened fire on them. Azerbaijani society responds to this with deep outrage and rejects it.
The bloody incident that Bastrykin is attempting to cover up is a matter of national honour for the Azerbaijani people. We will not remain silent. If the Russian side believes that apologising to Azerbaijan is sufficient to close the matter, it is profoundly mistaken.
The crime in question must be acknowledged, every perpetrator must be held criminally accountable, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state as well as to the affected passengers and crew members. International practice and basic human decency demand nothing less.
The shooting down of a civilian aircraft is prohibited under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. Bastrykin’s letter once again contradicts the Chicago Convention, in particular Annex 13, titled "Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation". This tragedy must not be covered up; on the contrary, all necessary measures must be taken to ensure a full investigation.
The substance of Alexander Bastrykin’s letter clearly differs from the position expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and, by effectively seeking to evade responsibility, constitutes a legal and political provocation.
On 9 October 2025 in Dushanbe, Vladimir Putin acknowledged that there had been technical malfunctions in Russia’s air-defence system in connection with the shooting down of the AZAL aircraft and stated that, as required in such tragic circumstances, Russia would do everything necessary regarding compensation and would provide a legal assessment of the actions of all officials involved.
Ambassador, we ask you to respond: who represents Russia’s official position on this matter — President Vladimir Putin or the chairman of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin?
We expect you to receive the board of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum and to respond to our question," the letter states.
The U.S. will impose "never seen before" measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, Washington's Treasury Secreta...
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to abandon its next planned electromagnetic aircraft launch sy...
A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Cuba and the Dominican Republic after Santo Domingo ordered the withdr...
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
The suspension of two major grain terminals in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk could increase pressure on Kazakhstan’s agricultural market if Russian exporters divert supplies to Central Asia at discounted prices.
Georgia’s Prime Minister says the EU’s inclusion of a major Black Sea cable project on a key infrastructure list is fresh evidence of the country’s importance to regional energy and digital connectivity.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and appointed former parliament speaker Alen Simonyan as his replacement.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment