Russian side files criminal lawsuit over AZAL plane crash incident

On December 28, local time, the chairman of the Russian Federal Investigative Committee, Bastrykin, held a working meeting in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, to receive the investigation report on the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, News.az reports.

The criminal case about the crash has been transferred for investigation to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

The criminal case was initiated under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Russia (violation of safety rules in air transportation).

"A special investigative and operational group has been formed, consisting of investigators, criminologists, and experts with experience in investigating aviation accidents. All necessary measures are being taken within the criminal case to establish the circumstances and causes of the air crash," the Investigative Committee reported.

As previously mentioned by the Kazakh side, 17 international experts will participate in the investigation: six from Azerbaijan, two from Russia, three from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), one from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), three from Brazil's Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA), and two from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.

Two employees of the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office are working together with representatives from the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia in Grozny. In Aktau, where the plane crashed, relevant agencies are also cooperating, as noted earlier by the Kremlin.

News.Az