Kazakhstan says it will send Azerbaijan Airlines black boxes to Brazil as crash probe continues

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - ASTANA — Kazakhstan has decided to send the downed Azerbaijan Airlines flight recorders to Brazil, Kazakhstan's government sources told Euronews in a statement, in a move which indicates the country's will for full and transparent disclosure of the tragedy.

In the statement, the government in Astana says it made the decision as the Azal aircraft was manufactured in Brazil and comes after "after consultations with Azerbaijan and Russia".

"In accordance with the standards of Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, the state conducting the investigation ensures the reading of flight recorders and decides on the selection of a country to read and decode the black boxes," the statement said, adding that Kazakhstan is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”

The decision indicates that Kazakhstan is in line with Azerbaijan's demand for a transparent investigation into the circumstances in which Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 crashed as it attempted to make an emergency landing near Aktau on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan says the aircraft was hit by a Russian surface to air missile over Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, then ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea after it was denied an emergency landing at two Russian airports nearby.

Hours before Kazakhstan announced its decision, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said the airliner was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and "rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare."

Aliyev accused Russia of trying to "hush up" the issue for several days, saying he was "upset and surprised" by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.

"Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions," he said.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan made three demands to Russia in connection with the crash.

"First, the Russian side must apologise to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to criminal responsibility and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers and crew members," he said.

Aliyev noted that the first demand was "already fulfilled" when Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to him on Saturday.

Putin called the crash a "tragic incident" though stopped short of acknowledging Moscow's responsibility.

The Kremlin said that air defence systems were firing near Grozny, where the plane attempted to land, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike.

Aliyev said that an investigation into the crash was ongoing, and that "the final version (of events) will be known after the black boxes are opened."

He noted that Azerbaijan was always "in favour of a group of international experts" investigating the crash and had "categorically refused" Russia's suggestion that the Interstate Aviation Committee, which oversees civil aviation in the Commonwealth of Independent States, investigate it.

"It is no secret that this organisation consists mostly of Russian officials and is headed by Russian citizens. The factors of objectivity could not be fully ensured here," Aliyev said. — Euronews