Confirm Cause of Tragic Christmas Day Crash

Target: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Goal: Approve international investigation of plane crash that claimed 38 lives.

Christmas Day turned tragic in Azerbaijan when a plane carrying dozens of passengers became suspected collateral damage in Russia’s campaign against Ukraine. Over half of the individuals onboard were killed after Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed near an airport during an attempted emergency landing. While initial reports blamed the tragedy on the plane’s collision with a bird, a darker narrative soon emerged.

An evaluation of the wreckage yielded damage inconsistent with a bird strike. The evidence instead pointed to a potential missile strike by Russia, where the plane was scheduled to land. President Vladimir Putin later seemed to indirectly confirm these suspicions when he issued an apology for the crash and mentioned that Russia’s air defense systems had been targeting suspected Ukrainian drones on the day of the incident. He stopped short, however, of confirming that the plane had been shot down or of acknowledging Russia’s culpability. The president of Azerbaijan (the plane’s point of departure) soon thereafter called for a formal admission of Russia’s guilt and accused Russian leaders of engaging in a cover-up. The president also claimed that Russia had refused several requests by the in-distress plane for an emergency landing.

To this day, official answers remain in short supply because the country where the crash happened, Kazakhstan, has refused to let Azerbaijan officials take a direct role in the investigation and has also rejected appeals for an investigation led by international, impartial experts. Sign the petition below to compel Kazakhstan’s leaders to help bring closure to a tragedy that took place on their own soil.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Tokayev,

The tragedy of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 still resonates and will remain an open source of suspicion and ill will until a fair and impartial investigation is conducted. Too many questions surround the circumstances of the plane’s crash and the actions taken by officials during and after the incident. These questions need answers, and grieving families desperately need closure.

Help resolve this crisis by granting requests for a comprehensive and robust investigation led by global aviation experts.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Mehmet Mustafa-Celik