Criminal Case Opened Regarding Iran's Drone Attack on Nakhchivan

A criminal case has been initiated regarding Iran's drone attack on civilian infrastructure in Nakhchivan.

This information was provided by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.

It was stated that two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with explosive warheads, remotely controlled from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, carried out an attack against civilian infrastructure facilities in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Preliminary investigative actions have determined that one of the unmanned aerial vehicles fell near the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, and the other near an educational institution located in the village of Shakarabad in the Babek district.

As a result of the incident, significant damage was inflicted on a civilian infrastructure facility, namely the administrative building of Nakhchivan International Airport, and its operations were disrupted. Furthermore, due to the intentional and unlawful disruption of airport services, a civilian aircraft scheduled to operate flight number 264 from Nakhchivan to Baku was forced to return to Baku for safety reasons while in the air.

In addition, as a result of the incident, four civilians sustained bodily injuries of varying degrees:

Employees serving at Nakhchivan Airport:

- Valiyeva Reyhana Sabir qizi, born in 1986,

- Zulfuqarli Zulfugar Mammad oglu, born in 1996,

- Asgarov Mehdi Matlab oglu, born in 1996, and

- Jafarov Asad Vidadi oglu, a passenger awaiting boarding, born in 1998.

The injured individuals received appropriate medical assistance and are currently continuing their treatment under medical supervision in the hospital.

A criminal case has been initiated by the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code, and the preliminary investigation has been assigned to the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Currently, as part of the criminal case, prosecutors, in conjunction with relevant state bodies, have conducted an inspection of the scene, collected material evidence, obtained preliminary statements from the injured parties and witnesses, and numerous investigative actions are being carried out, including the appointment of relevant expert examinations.

In addition, technical investigations are being conducted regarding the origin and control route of the UAVs.

Within the framework of the preliminary investigation, all circumstances of this attack, carried out against the territory of Azerbaijan in violation of the norms and principles of international law, will be investigated objectively, fully, and comprehensively. Necessary measures will be taken to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the law.

The Prosecutor General's Office states that the targeting of civilian population and strategic infrastructure facilities is a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.

Necessary investigative and operational measures are ongoing in the criminal case, and further information will be provided to the public.