Kenya rights body alarmed by abductions of Ruto critics

Social media users who spoke out against President William Ruto's government are the most recent people to go missing, with several groups blaming the police.

The Kenya National Commission in Human Rights has expressed alarm over the rising number of government critics being abducted.

The commission said since anti-government protests in June, "unidentified armed individuals" have kidnapped at least 82 people, with 29 still missing.

On Wednesday, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced an investigation into the latest disappearances of social media users who are critical of President William Ruto's government.

While not directly implicating security forces, the IPOA urged the Inspector General of Police to "take urgent measures to stop this growing and worrying trend of abductions in the country."
Fingers pointed at the police

It comes after three men, Peter Muteti, Billy Mwangi and Bernard Kavuli, all disappeared over the weekend. A fourth person, whose identity has not been disclosed, has also reportedly been abducted in recent days.

Witnesses cited by Citizen TV reported that Muteti was seized by a group of men outside a shop in the Nairobi suburb of Uthiru and bundled into a car, with one of the abductors wearing a police uniform.

Several rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused the police force of being responsible for the abductions.




However, the police have denied any involvement. "The National Police Service is deeply concerned with the ongoing allegations that Police Officers are involved in abductions of persons in Kenya," the office of the inspector general said in a statement.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who fell out with Ruto amid the public protests against the president's economic plans this year and was later impeached, on Friday said a secret government unit was responsible for the disappearances.

"Abducting these children and killing them is not a solution... This is the first administration in the history of this country to target children for repression," Gachagua claimed at a press conference.

Resentment towards government grows

Anti-government demonstrations earlier this year were sparked by proposed tax hikes, triggering the worst crisis since Ruto took power in 2022.

Although large-scale rallies have largely stopped, resentment towards the government persists, driven by rising costs of living and ongoing allegations of brutality from the security forces.

In October, nine European envoys raised concerns over enforced disappearances and urged Ruto to ensure justice.

In November, Human Rights Watch blamed Kenyan security agencies for the abduction, torture, and killing of people seen as leading or taking part in the demonstrations against the government.

HRW said a unit of officers drawn from multiple security agencies, including military intelligence and an anti-terrorism unit, was responsible.

DW  (AFP, AP)

Kenya probes alleged police involvement in abduction of government critics

Kenya’s police watchdog has raised concerns about the high number of abductions of those who have criticised President William Ruto, allegedly carried out by police officers.


Issued on: 27/12/2024 - 
RFI

Kenyan plain-clothed police officers push a man into a car during a protest in Nairobi, 16 July 2024. © Ed Ram/AP

By: RFI

Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) this week launched an investigation into the rising number of cases of abductions allegedly carried out by members of the National Police Service (NPS).

The move comes after reports of several young people allegedly abducted after criticising President William Ruto and his administration.

Four people were forcibly taken by armed men, allegedly for sharing AI-generated images of Ruto in a coffin, according to their family and local media.

Satirist Kibet Bull also went missing after meeting with a senator in Nairobi.

Kenya investigates alleged kidnapping of Ugandan opposition leader Besigye

According to New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch, Kenyan security forces "abducted, arbitrarily arrested, tortured and killed perceived leaders of the anti-Finance Bill protests between June and August 2024".

HRW added that: "Security officers held abductees, who they had detained without respecting their legal rights, in unlawful detention facilities, including in forests and abandoned buildings, and denied them access to their families and lawyers."
Finance bill

The protests gained momentum after the introduction of the Finance Bill 2024 in parliament on 18 June.

Protesters took to the streets over provisions that would raise taxes on essential goods and services, in order to meet International Monetary Fund revenue targets.

On 25 June, a large crowd broke through the parliament fence, where they encountered anti-riot police officers who fired directly at the crowd, killing several, says HRW.

The protesters overpowered the police and entered parliament through the back entrance, destroying furniture and other items, resulting in the subsequent crackdown and abductions.

Scattered anti-government protests in Kenya defy police bans

The NPS has documented 57 abductions since anti-government protests began in June, but it has repeatedly denied any involvement.

In a statement on Thursday, NPS Inspector-General Douglas Kanja said: "The National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country holding the reported abductees."

Estonia starts naval patrols to protect undersea cables

The Estonian Navy has deployed a patrol boat a day after Finland seized a ship believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet."

The Eagle S tanker sailed from a Russian port and was seized by Finnish authorities

Image: Finnish Border Guard LEHTIKUVA/HANDOUT/RAJAVARTIOSTO/dpa/picture alliance

Estonia has started naval patrols to protect a power cable under the Baltic Sea from Finland, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Friday.

It comes after suspected sabotage of a similar cable earlier this week.

"If there is a threat to the critical undersea infrastructure in our region, there will also be a response," Tsahkna said on social media site X.

Damage to subsea installations has become so frequent that it has become hard to attribute it to mere accidents or poor seamanship, Tsahkna said
Finland seizes Russia 'shadow fleet' ship

Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker on Thursday because they suspect it was involved in cutting important undersea cables.

Police believe the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the Estlink 2 submarine cable on Wednesday.

Authorities also believe the ship may be part of Russia's "shadow fleet," used to avoid Western sanctions.

"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit, director general of Finnish Customs.

The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the Cook Islands flag in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt.
NATO to enhance Baltic Sea presence

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday the military alliance, "will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."



When asked about Finland's investigation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "I can't say anything precise here, this is a very narrow-profile issue which is hardly the prerogative of the [Russian] presidential administration."

Wednesday's incident came just over a month after telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters.

lo/rc (AFP, Reuters)

NATO to enhance presence in Baltic Sea after suspected undersea cable sabotage

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that NATO will "enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" as Estonia's navy began patrolling an undersea cable supplying energy from Finland. A different cable was disconnected from the power grid on Christmas Day in what Finnish authorities suspect is a case of deliberate sabotage.


Issued on: 27/12/2024

FRANCE24
By:NEWS WIRES

A handout picture released on December 26, 2024 shows a Finnish Border Guard's ship Turva (front) and the oil tanker Eagle S on the sea near Porkkalanniemi. © Finnish Border Guard via AFP


NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week, the Western military alliance's chief Mark Rutte said on Friday.

On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic.

Finnish authorities on Thursday said they were investigating the oil tanker, Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port, as part of a probe for "aggravated sabotage".

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Friday: "We've got the situation under control, and we have to continue to work together vigilantly to make sure that our critical infrastructure is not damaged by outsiders."

Officials suspect the tanker is part of the Russian "shadow fleet", which refers to ships that transport Russian crude and oil products embargoed due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt. Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.

Rutte said he spoke to President Stubb about Finland's probe, adding in a post on X: "I expressed my full solidarity and support. NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur earlier on Friday said on X that the country began naval patrols to protect the undersea cable supplying electricity from Finland.


In a separate statement he said Tallinn wanted to send a clear message it was ready to protect its power connections with Finland with military and non-military means.

Rutte on Thursday promised NATO support to Estonia and Finland, and condemned attacks on critical infrastructure after speaking to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

More EU sanctions

The European Union has also threatened further sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet after this week's incident.

The bloc's 27 member states agreed earlier this month to blacklist around 50 more oil tankers from Russia's shadow fleet used to circumvent Western sanctions, taking the number targeted to around 80.

Ukraine's international backers have looked to curb funds going to the Kremlin's war machine by imposing a price cap and restrictions on Russia's key oil exports.

To skirt the measures, Russia has resorted to using a so-called "shadow fleet" of often ageing vessels that operate under dubious ownership or without proper insurance.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.

On November 17 and 18 this year, sections of two telecom cables were cut in Swedish territorial waters. Suspicions have been directed at the Yi Peng 3, which according to ship tracking sites had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.

(AFP)

Finland probes Russia-linked tanker for 'sabotage' of undersea cable


Finnish authorities are investigating the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of "aggravated sabotage" to the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia damaged on Christmas Day. The tanker is thought to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels that transport embargoed Russian oil products.


Issued on: 26/12/2024 - 
FRANCE24
NEWS WIRES

This handout picture released by The Finnish Border Guard on December 26, 2024 shows the Oil tanker Eagle S on the sea outside the Porkkalanniemi. 

© AFP - Finnish Border Guard


Finnish authorities said Thursday they are investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port for the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.

On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.

Robin Lardot of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said a probe for "aggravated sabotage" had been opened into the oil tanker Eagle S, that flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit from Director General of Finnish Customs.


The shadow fleet refers to the ships which transport embargoed Russian crude and oil products.

"We monitored the situation closely yesterday" with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Finnish President Alexander Stubb on X.

"The risks posed by the Russian shadow fleet must be ruled out," he added.

The Eagle S is bound for Port Said in Egypt and still located in the Gulf of Finland, according to the Marine Traffic website.

"We have already boarded the vessel, spoken with the crew and gathered evidence," said Lardot.

Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.

"Our patrol vessel travelled to the area and could determine visually that the vessel's anchor was missing," Markku Hassinen of the Finnish Border Guard told a news conference.

"So there is a clear reason to suspect something strange happened," he added.

Engineers from the Finnish and Estonian power grid companies have located the damaged part of the cable.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.

Early on November 17 this year, the Arelion telecommunications cable running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania was damaged.

The next day, the C-Lion 1 submarine cable connecting Helsinki and the German port of Rostock was cut south of Sweden's Oland island.

Suspicions concerning the November 17 incident focused on a Chinese-flagged vessel, the Yi Peng 3, which was in the area at the time.

Sweden said Monday that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation on the vessel and that it had left the area.

European officials have said they suspect several of the incidents are sabotage linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the Kremlin dismissing this as "absurd" and "laughable".

(AFP)

Finnish Police Carry Out Tactical Boarding of Suspected Sabotage Ship

Japan's 'Black Widow' murderer dies while on death row

Chisako Kakehi was found guilty of killing three elderly lovers by poisoning them with cyanide, and attempting to murder another man. She had been on death row since 2017.

A Japanese death row inmate known as the "Black Widow" for killing multiple elderly lovers has died, officials said on Friday.

Chisako Kakehi was sentenced to death for murdering three men, including her husband, and the attempted murder of a fourth man between 2007 and 2013.

"Her death was confirmed at a hospital on Thursday" after she was found lying in her cell at an Osaka detention center, an official from Japan's Justice Ministry told the AFP news agency.

She was 78 years old. She had been seeking a retrial in one of the three murder cases, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency, but had already been rebuffed in a lower court.
Who was the 'Black Widow'?

Kakehi had several relationships with elderly or ill men.

She met some of them through dating agencies, where she stipulated that prospective partners must be wealthy and childless.

In 2017, she was sentenced to death after a court found she had murdered three partners by poisoning them with cyanide and attempted to murder a fourth.

Kakehi reportedly amassed one billion yen (roughly $9 million at the time) in insurance payouts and inheritance over 10 years. But she subsequently lost most of the money through unsuccessful financial trading.

Her death sentence was upheld by Japan's Supreme Court in 2021, with judge Yuko Miyazaki saying she had "used cyanide on the men after making them trust her as a life partner."

"It's a calculated, cruel crime based on a strong intent of murder," Miyazaki said.

Japan is among a small number of developed democracies to still use capital punishment. However, it only carried one out in 2022, and none in 2023, according to Amnesty International.

zc, msh/rc (AFP)

UPDATED

Azerbaijan minister suggests 'weapon' hit crashed plane

Azerbaijan's Transport Minister Rashan Nabiyev said "the aircraft was hit by something" and the "type of weapon" is to be determined. Most passengers were killed when the flight from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan.

Aviation school cadets in Kazakhstan staged a ceremony to honor the 38 people killed in the crash

Uncredited/AP Photo/picture alliance

Indications that Wednesday's crash of a Russia-bound passenger plane from Azerbaijan was caused by Russian air defense systems continued to grow on Friday.

The Embraer jet came down near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people. Twenty-nine survived.

Azerbaijan's Transport Minister Rashan Nabiyev said witness statements suggested there was "an explosive noise outside" before the plane was "hit by something."

"The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe," Nabiyev said.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby meanwhile said that Washington has observed some "early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," but refused to elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation.

'External interference' caused crash, Azerbaijan airline says

Earlier on Friday, Azerbaijan Airlines said that preliminary findings from the investigation into the crash suggest "physical and technical external interference."

Azerbaijan Airlines on Friday also suspended flights to a number of Russian cities amid growing speculation the plane was downed by Russian air defense fire.

The airline said it was "taking into account the initial results of the investigation into the crash... and taking into account flight safety risks."

News agency Interfax said Azerbaijan Airlines would still run flights to six major Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight to the southern Russian city of Mineralnye Vody turned back to Baku on Friday after a chunk of Russian airspace was closed, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported.

Passengers heard at least one loud bang

Some of the survivors of the crash told the Reuters news agency they had heard at least one loud bang as the plane approached its original destination of Grozny, in southern Russia.

"It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way," said Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers speaking from hospital. "It was as if it was drunk — not the same plane anymore."

Another passenger, Vafa Shabanova, also heard a bang and said, "I was very scared."

Kremlin declines to comment amid investigation

The Kremlin said it was too early to comment on the allegations that a Russian air defense missile was responsible for the Azerbaijan Airlines crash.

"An investigation is underway, and until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

However, the head of Russia's civil aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said on Telegram that there was fog over the airport in Grozny — the flight's scheduled destination. He also claimed that Ukrainian drones were striking the city around the time of the incident.

"Ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure... at the time," Yadrov said on Friday.

"The pilot was offered alternative airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport."

Ukraine blames Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of being responsible for the tragedy.

"Every human life is valuable, and every loss of life deserves a thorough investigation to establish the truth," Zelenskyy said in a statement on X.

He compared the latest crash to the shooting down of MH17 flight over 10 years ago, which Ukraine and the West believe was hit by a missile fired by Russian-backed defense forces. Moscow has blamed Ukrainian military for the tragedy, which killed nearly 300 people.

"If Russia decides to spread lies in the same way that it did in the MH17 case, we will need to consolidate all international pressure on Moscow in order to establish the truth and ensure accountability," Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak also blamed Russia for "shooting down" the plane.

News outlets including Reuters and The New York Times reported that a Russian missile was likely involved in the crash, citing Azerbaijani security sources close to the investigation.

"No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft," a source told Reuters on Thursday.

rmt,lo,zc/rc (Reuters, AFP)

Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash: Is Russia responsible?

Sergei Satanovskii

DW

Russia has so far resisted pressure from Azerbaijan to admit responsibility for the plane crash in Kazakhstan. Since Wednesday, the Kremlin has refused to comment on claims that a Russian missile caused the crash.

There are indications, including many small holes on the plane's tail, that an accidental strike by a Russian air defense missile led to the plane crash

Image: The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP/dpa/picture alliance


Two days after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan appears to be increasing pressure on Russia.

Although an investigation is still underway in Kazakhstan, preliminary results have been leaked to the press. With an accidental Russian air defense missile strike now the leading theory behind the crash, more and more Azerbaijani officials are calling on Russia to admit responsibility.

What happened on Christmas morning?

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a field near Aktau, in western Kazakhstan. Of the 67 passengers onboard, 38 died and 29 were hospitalized, some with severe injuries.

The plane wasn't supposed to land in Aktau. The aircraft had taken off from Baku, in Azerbaijan, on Wednesday morning and was due to land in Grozny, Russia, an area that has recently been heavily targeted by Ukrainian drones, when something happened to it that some survivors later described as a collision with a bird.

Videos of the emergency landing near Aktau show the plane gaining altitude, then sharply descending before crashing to the ground and catching fire. Other videos showed the wrecked aircraft lying in the field.

Apart from the damage caused by the crash, the videos show the fuselage riddled with small holes. Some experts, including those DW spoke to, said these holes may be attributed to a strike by Russia's anti-aircraft systems.

Investigation underway

Kazakhstan has launched an investigation into the causes of the incident. An investigative commission established by the country's prime minister will include the participation of, among others, a deputy prime minister and the leadership of several ministries. The commission is said to be collaborating with Azerbaijan.

As of Friday evening local time, no details of the investigation have been announced by any government official. Kazakhstan's parliamentary speaker, Maulen Ashimbayev, said Thursday investigators didn't yet know what had caused the tragedy. He also called the theory of a Russian anti-aircraft system strike speculation. "Spreading such allegations is not right and unethical," he said.

This reaction corresponds with the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He has so far refused to comment on the allegations about the Russian air defense system strike. Instead, he has called on the parties to wait until the investigation in Kazakhstan is completed.


Reactions in Baku

In Baku, the authorities seem less patient. Sources in the Azerbaijani government have leaked the preliminary results of the investigation to the press. According to sources cited by Euronews and the Reuters news agency, the plane might have mistakenly been struck by the Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun system, and the aircraft's communication "was paralyzed" by electronic warfare systems as it approached Grozny.

"No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft," the source, who had knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan's investigation, told Reuters.

In another article published by the local news website Day.Az on Friday, sources in the Azerbaijani president's offices said they had abruptly refused to accept any help offered by the Chechen authorities in Grozny.

"We are providing and will continue to provide the necessary assistance to our citizens. Azerbaijan demands recognition of the fact, an apology, and the payment of appropriate compensations," a source said.

Allegations mount that anti-aircraft fire caused plane crash

04:12

Azerbaijan Airlines suspends flights to some Russian regions

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended several flights from Baku to seven cities in Russia starting December 28. These are areas at risk of Ukrainian drone attacks and where Russian air defense systems are active.

In an official statement, the airline said the plane that crashed on Wednesday experienced "external physical and technical interference."

After growing signs of irritation on the Azerbaijani side went public, Russian aviation authorities released more details about the circumstances leading up to the plane crash.

The head of Russia's civil aviation authority, Dmitry Yadrov, said Friday that the so-called Carpet plan had been implemented before the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash due to a Ukrainian drone attack.

The plan means that the airport in Grozny was closed for departures and arrivals and all aircraft were required to leave the area.

According to Yadrov, the pilots unsuccessfully attempted to land in Grozny twice. He mentioned that the area was covered in dense fog. The crew then allegedly refused to consider alternative landing options in Russia and flew to Aktau, before the plane crashed in the coastal area.

Pro-Kremlin bloggers admit a Russian strike

While Russian state-run media appear keen to avoid mentioning the possibility of a Russian missile hitting the plane, pro-Kremlin military bloggers on Telegram seem to have no doubts about what happened.

The most popular military Telegram channels such as Rybar, Yuri Podolyaka and Alex Parker write that the Russian anti-aircraft system strike seems to be the most likely cause of the crash.

"But I am sure that the Chechens will manage to avoid responsibility, and no one will be punished," a post on the Alex Parker channel reads.

Edited by: Rob Mudge

What we know about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash 

A Russian-bound Azerbaijani aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 onboard. Experts suggest shrapnel damage indicates a possible accidental shootdown by Russian air defence. Authorities have urged caution against speculation until the investigation concludes.


Issued on: 26/12/2024 
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

02:15

 drone view shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan December 25, 2024. © Azamat Sarsenbayev, Reuters

The official cause of the crash of a Russia-bound Azerbaijani plane in Kazakhstan on Wednesday that killed 38 of the 67 people on board is still unknown.

But, pointing to apparent shrapnel damage on the wreckage, experts have said the plane could have been accidentally shot down by Russian air defence.

Russian and Kazakh authorities have warned against "hypotheses" and "speculation" on causes, calling for patience until the investigation is concluded.

Here is what we know about the crash:

Air defence

Military and aviation experts have said the Embraer 190 could have been shot down by Russian air defence.

The plane's scheduled route was from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, where Ukrainian drone attacks have been reported in recent weeks.

Drone attacks were reported earlier on Wednesday in Ingushetia and North Ossetia -- two republics near Chechnya also located in southern Russia.

"The traces seen on the plane suggest that it is quite probable" that it was shot down by a missile, Jean-Paul Troadec, a former director of France's BEA air accident investigation agency, told AFP.

Russian military expert Yury Podolyaka said holes seen in the wreckage of the plane were similar to the damage caused by an "anti-aircraft missile system".

"Everything points to that," he wrote.

A former expert at France's BEA also said there appeared to be "a lot of shrapnel" damage on the wreckage.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the damage was "reminiscent" of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was downed with a surface-to-air missile by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

That crash killed 298 people.

Four sources say Azerbaijan Airlines flight was downed by Russian air defences

Birds theory

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation's conclusions."

Authorities in Kazakhstan, a key Russian ally, also warned against "speculation".

Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds before withdrawing the statement.

Russia's aviation agency also mentioned birds as a possible cause.

The former BEA expert said it was unlikely since the impact of birds "does not prevent the plane from flying".

A regional department of the Kazakh health ministry referred to an "explosion of a canister" on board, without giving any further detail.

Strange trajectory

The plane was far from its intended flight path on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, crashing in Aktau on the eastern shore.

The reason why it veered off is unclear.

Former BEA director Troadec said the route was "a great unknown" in the incident.

Russia's aviation agency said on Wednesday that "due to an emergency situation on board the plane, the pilot decided to go to another airport -- Aktau was chosen".

The specialist website Flightradar24, which tracks flights, said the flight had experienced "significant GPS interference".

The plane "stopped sending positional data" for a few minutes, the site said.

Victims

The plane was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members.

Kazakhstan said 38 people were killed and 29 survived, including three children.

There were 37 passengers from Azerbaijan, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan and 16 from Russia on board, the Kazakh transport ministry said.

The crew were all Azerbaijani nationals.

Fourteen survivors were flown to Azerbaijan, TASS news agency reported, while nine Russian survivors, including a child, have been taken to Russia.

(AFP)

Did Russia shoot down the Azal passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan?

Confusion surrounds the cause of the crash of Azal passenger plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 of the 72 people on board. There is evidence that it was caused by a bird strike but what appears to be shrapnel damage suggest that it could have also been hit by a Russian missile. / bne IntelliNews

Feedly

By bne IntelliNews December 26, 2024

Confusion reigns over the cause behind the crash of the Azal passenger plane on December 25 that killed 38 of 67 people on board. There is conflicting evidence. Some evidence points to a bird strike, other evidence to a possible strike carried out with Russian surface-to-air missile defences protecting the Chechen capital of Grozny.

The passenger plane crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, during a flight from Baku to Grozny. A total of 25 people survived with 22 hospitalised, the press service of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry reported. Among those on board were two children and five crew.

Initial reports said the crash was caused after the plane struck a bird that caused an explosion, doing critical damage to one of the engines. The plane was then redirected to the Dagestani city of Makhachkala but after flying over the Caspian Sea, crash landed just short of an airport in Aktau in Kazakhstan.

The Russian government on the morning of December 26 cautioned against promoting "hypotheses" about the cause of the crash

Video footage posted on social media show what appear to be bullet holes or shrapnel damage in the fuselage and tail of the plane.

Andrii Kovalenko, Ukraine’s Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said on Telegram, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda: "Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 aircraft, which was flying from Baku to Grozny, was shot down by a Russian SAM.” 

Kovalenko said that Russia was obligated to close the airspace over Grozny but failed to do so. "The plane was damaged by Russians and sent to Kazakhstan instead of being urgently landed in Grozny to save lives,” Kovalenko added.

According to Kanan Zeynalov, a representative of the press service of Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office, a joint investigation is being conducted with the Kazakh authorities.

“We cannot disclose any investigation results at this stage. All possible scenarios are being examined, and relevant expert analyses are underway. A team led by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prosecutor General has been dispatched to Kazakhstan and is working at the crash site,” Zeynalov stated, reported Jam News.

Kazakhstan’s KazAeroNavigation suggested that the crash took place after the plane hit a bird,, causing the steering system to malfunction. Kanat Bozumbayev, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister has been appointed the head of the state commission investigating the crash.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who had travelled to the Russian Federation to participate in an informal CIS Heads of State Summit in St Petersburg, was informed of the plane crash while in Russian airspace. He immediately ordered a return to Azerbaijan and declared a day of mourning.

MH17 Redux

If it is confirmed the Azal passenger jet was shot down by Russian air defences it would be a repeat of the Malaysian commercial airliner MH17 tragedy. Just under 300 people were killed after MH17 was shot down with a Russian BUK SAM over Ukraine in July 2014.

An eyewitness account from Kristina, a survivor of the crash in Kazakhstan, posted online claimed that the plane hit a bird that caused an explosion in a video posted online.

The passengers flew over the sea for an hour before crash-landing. During the entire hour, the passengers were wearing oxygen masks and life jackets because they were over water, according to Kristina, who added in a clip posted by Russian social media platform MASH: “A bird hit the engine, causing an explosion, and the oxygen masks deployed.”

However, photos and videos of the body of the plane on the ground show what appear to be bullet holes or shrapnel damage, raising suspicions that the plane was brought down by a Russian surface-to-air missile.

Zaur Mammadov, one of the surviving passengers, said in a video recorded after his rescue that two loud bangs were heard before the crash, causing panic among the passengers, Jam News reported. Other images posted from inside the plane show limited but clearly visible damage to the interior of the plane that was caused by the explosion.

bne IntelliNews has been unable to confirm if the damage was caused by a SAM or if it would be consistent with an engine explosion caused by a bird. Most of what appears to be shrapnel damage appears to have been inflicted on the back half of the plane, behind the engines, from what can be seen in the video and images from the crash site.

Other videos shot by the passengers in the plane after the incident show passengers worried but calm. Moreover, the footage suggests the passengers were unsure what had happened.

One video from the cabin of the Baku-Grozny flight was taken just minutes before the crash by passenger Subkhon Rahimov, who recited the "kalma-shahadat" - a prayer Muslims say before death.

He sent the footage to his wife when he realised something was wrong before the plane attempted to land. However, he made no mention of a missile strike and appears to be unaware of the exact nature of the plane’s problem. Subkhon survived the crash.

There have been many reports that the airport in Grozny was under attack by Ukrainian drones, which may have led to the plane being rerouted from Grozny to Aktau. However, during the diversion, it remains possible that the plane sustained damage from a missile fired by Russian air defence, which was intercepting the drone attack.

Videos shot by the passengers before the crash show some damage to the wing and holes in the interior of the plane, but not catastrophic damage that would have been caused by a direct missile hit.

It is possible that a missile exploded near the plane, but then it is likely the passengers would have seen the explosion through the windows. It is also possible the plane was hit by shrapnel from a missile that exploded much further away from the plane out of the line of sight, but the concentration of shrapnel damage on the fuselage and in the tail strongly suggests the explosion was close to the plane. That strongly supports the theory of an explosion in the engine caused by a bird strike.

Russia says Azerbaijani plane tried to land during Ukraine drone attack


ByAFP
December 27, 2024

Russia claimed the plane was hit by shrapnel during a Ukrainian drone attack - Copyright AFP Issa Tazhenbayev

Russia’s aviation chief said Friday that an Azerbaijani Airlines plane that eventually crashed in Kazakhstan tried to land in the Chechen city of Grozny as it was being attacked by Ukrainian drones.

The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday after attempting to land at its destination in Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea.

Thirty-eight of the 67 people on board died, with some reports suggesting the plane could have been accidentally shot at by Russian air defences.

A surviving passenger told Russian TV that an explosion appeared to take place outside the plane, with shrapnel flying in.

The head of Russia’s civil aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said in a statement that “the situation on this day and at these hours in the area of Grozny airport was very complex”.

“Ukrainian attack drones at this time were making terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz,” Yadrov said, referring to a nearby city.

Yadrov said the Azeri pilot made “two attempts to land the plane in Grozny that were unsuccessful” in “thick fog”.

“The pilot was offered other airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport,” he added.

The Kremlin earlier Friday declined to comment on the deadly crash.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so”.

Some aviation and military experts have pointed to apparent shrapnel damage on the plane wreckage as evidence that it was hit by air defence.

Azerbaijan’s pro-government website Caliber and several other media have cited unnamed Azerbaijani officials as saying they believed a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system caused the plane to crash.

Ukraine’s presidency said Russia “must be held responsible for the downing” of the plane.



– Shrapnel –



Russian survivor Subkhonkul Rakhimov told RT state broadcaster that an explosion appeared to happen outside the plane, causing shrapnel to penetrate inside.

He said the explosion took place as the plane made a third attempt to land in Grozny in fog.

“The third time there was an explosion. I wouldn’t say it was inside the plane because the skin of the fuselage near where I was sitting flew off,” he said.

“I grabbed a lifejacket and saw there was a hole in it — it was pierced by shrapnel.”

“Somewhere between my legs this piece of shrapnel flew in and went right through the life jacket. I took a picture of the hole on my phone.”

The daughter of an air steward on the plane told AFP that her father, Zulfugar Asadov, was being treated in hospital for injuries to his head and back but had not broken any bones.

“He is in pain, his back hurts, he cannot speak much,” the woman, Konula Asadova, told AFP.

Azerbaijan Airlines said Friday it was suspending flights to 10 Russian cities, “taking into account flight safety risks”.



– Apology urged –



Contacted by AFP, Azerbaijani government officials did not respond to questions about the possible causes of the crash.

But Rasim Musabekov, an Azerbaijani lawmaker and member of the parliament’s international relations committee, urged Russia to apologise for the incident.

“They have to accept this, punish those to blame, promise that such a thing will not happen again, express regrets and readiness to pay compensation,” Musabekov told AFP.

“We are waiting for Russia to do this.”

He said the plane “was damaged in the sky over Grozny and asked to make an emergency landing”.

“According to all the rules of aviation, they should have allowed this and organised it.”

Instead the plane was not allowed to land at Grozny or nearby Russian airports and was “sent far away” across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan with “GPS switched off”, Musabekov said.

He suggested that the aim could have been for the plane to crash into the sea to “cover up a crime”.

If air defences were operating near Grozny airport, “they should have closed the air space. The plane should have been turned around as it approached Grozny. Why wasn’t this done?” he added.

burs/dt/phz

PIMP

The Matt Gaetz ethics report, explained

The report accuses Gaetz of paying women for sex — including a 17-year-old.


by Ellen Ioanes and Li Zhou

Dec 23, 2024
  VOX

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks during the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images



After much back-and-forth, the House Ethics Committee released a bombshell report about alleged sexual misconduct by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), stating that he broke multiple state laws and that he’s previously paid a minor for sex. Gaetz has categorically denied the allegations and on Monday filed a lawsuit aimed at preventing the report’s release.


The review, which is the culmination of a years-long investigation, contains multiple allegations of wrongdoing, including that Gaetz spent tens of thousands paying women, and in at least one instance a 17-year-old, for sex or drugs, and that he’s used illicit drugs like ecstasy and cocaine. Although the Ethics Committee concluded that Gaetz had not violated federal sex trafficking statutes, it found that the lawmaker had broken other state laws.


“The Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report reads.


There was some question about whether the report would be released, and substantial portions of it leaked before it was formally published. The Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel that investigates wrongdoing by lawmakers, initially deadlocked when it came to releasing their results in the wake of Gaetz’s resignation from Congress. It’s uncommon for the panel to share its findings after a member is no longer in Congress, though it’s not unheard of.


Gaetz abruptly resigned following his nomination to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. After he withdrew from consideration for attorney general when it became clear that he wouldn’t get sufficient Senate support, the Ethics panel ultimately voted to publicize the report.


The report contains detailed documentation of the allegations it levies against Gaetz and is the product of contacting more than two dozen witnesses and reviewing 14,000 documents. Whether the report will lead to additional legal consequences or political ramifications for the bombastic former member of Congress is still an open question, however. Here’s what you need to know about the report, and what may come next for Gaetz.

What does the report say?


The report centers on allegations of Gaetz paying women, and one teenage girl, for sex, his use of illegal drugs, and his acceptance of improper gifts.

“Commercial sex”: The report alleges that Gaetz paid women for sex on numerous occasions between 2017 and 2020, and paid a 17-year-old girl for sex in 2017.

In the course of its investigation, which included multiple interviews with women who said they had sexual encounters with Gaetz, the Ethics Committee’s report said there were at least 20 instances when he paid women for sexual activity or drugs. They found such payments were made on platforms including PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp, as well as via check and cash. When given an opportunity to explain the payments he made, Gaetz did not provide any information to the committee.

Gaetz allegedly met many of these women via his friend Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax attorney who’s now serving 11 years in prison for multiple crimes, including underage sex trafficking and wire fraud. Greenberg connected with the women via a website called SeekingArrangement.com that aims to link older affluent men and younger women. Broadly, the report says there was evidence that women expected payment for their interactions with Gaetz and Greenberg, with the report citing explicit examples including one when a woman noted: “I usually do $400 per meet.”

RelatedMatt Gaetz’s scandal and legal problems, explained

One of the people who Gaetz allegedly had a sexual encounter with was 17 years old at the time of their meet-up in July 2017, the report notes. He allegedly had sex with her at a party that month; she did not disclose that she was under 18 nor did he ask her age. The committee concluded that he was not aware that that person was a minor, though the report also notes that “ignorance” of a minor’s age doesn’t shield an offending adult from being charged with statutory rape under Florida law.


Gaetz has repeatedly denied that he paid women for sex and denied that he had sex with a minor.


“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated - even some I never dated but who asked,” Gaetz previously wrote on X. “I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18.”


The panel determined that Gaetz’s actions were a violation of Florida state laws addressing commercial sex and statutory rape. It also did not find that Gaetz had violated federal sex trafficking laws, claiming that he did transport women across state lines for commercial sex, but that there was no evidence those individuals were under 18 or that they had been “induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”


Illegal drug use: Two women that the committee spoke with also testified to seeing Gaetz repeatedly engage in illegal drug use including that of ecstasy and cocaine, while additional evidence points to his regular use of cannabis.


Gaetz has denied allegations of unlawful drug use.


The committee found that these actions were a violation of Florida state laws, which bar the use of all three drugs for recreational purposes.


Excessive gifts: The panel alleges that Gaetz also accepted gifts in excess of the $250 limit that Congress members are supposed to adhere to (but that lawmakers, in practice, aren’t always held to). This specifically included a trip to the Bahamas in 2018, during which Gaetz allegedly accepted a flight on a private plane as well as lodgings.


Gaetz has denied these allegations, but failed to provide the committee with evidence that he paid for these services himself.


The committee determined that his acceptance of these gifts was an ethical violation of the House Gift Rule.


Obstruction of Congress: Gaetz did not voluntarily participate in an interview with the committee and also did not respond to a subpoena he faced for testimony. He provided some documents in response to the panel’s requests, but little relevant information, according to the report.


Gaetz has repeatedly cited the lack of charges levied against him by the DOJ inquiry and argued that the Congressional investigation was targeted.


The committee, however, stated that Gaetz was required by federal law to cooperate with a congressional investigation regardless of what the DOJ decided to do with its investigation, or how he may have felt about the House inquiry. Failing to answer the committee’s questions and being unresponsive to its subpoena constitutes “obstruction of Congress,” according to the report.

Why is the Ethics Committee report coming out now?


The Ethics Committee first began its investigation into Gaetz in 2021, but put it on pause once the Justice Department started its own investigation later that year. It took up its review once more after the DOJ inquiry ended in 2023. The department did not release any details about its findings or why it declined to continue its probe, though the New York Times reported that federal prosecutors were uncertain about their ability to make the case that Gaetz had broken federal law.


The panel was scheduled to release its findings in mid-November, right around when Trump announced Gaetz as his AG pick. Gaetz stepped down from Congress swiftly following that announcement, a surprising move as Congress members who are nominated typically haven’t given up their jobs before getting confirmed.


Gaetz’s departure raised questions about whether the committee would still publish the report, with some Republicans arguing that it was no longer in its “jurisdiction” since the conservative was no longer a lawmaker. While Gaetz was still under consideration for AG, the committee deadlocked about releasing the report. After he withdrew from the role, the majority — including at least one Republican member — voted on December 10 to release the report.


“The Committee has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a matter,” the report reads. “However, there are a few prior instances where the Committee has determined that it was in the public interest to release its findings even after a Member’s resignation from Congress.”

Is the Ethics Committee investigation connected to the DOJ’s investigation?


The two investigations aren’t connected in any legal way, though the Ethics Committee noted in its report that it tried to use some of the DOJ’s work in its investigation. DOJ pushed back on that effort and according to the committee, the DOJ failed to comply with a subpoena and FOIA request for information.


“The Committee hopes to continue to engage with DOJ on the broader issues raised by its failure to recognize the Committee’s unique mandate,” the report states.


The committee hoped to work with the DOJ in part because the two investigations covered many of the same allegations, primarily that Gaetz regularly paid women for sex, had sex with a minor, and transported women across state lines for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex.

RelatedMatt Gaetz, Trump’s uniquely unqualified pick for attorney general, withdraws


The DOJ investigation, which started in 2020 during Trump’s previous term, had a more limited scope than the ethics investigation. That’s because the DOJ looks for proof that a federal crime was committed, while the ethics panel is concerned with — as the report put it — “upholding the integrity of our government institutions.” That is, an act can be deemed unethical without being a federal crime.


Again, the DOJ’s investigation did not result in any federal charges against Gaetz and is no longer open.

Will the ethics report have any legal repercussions?


Although the federal government is no longer investigating Gaetz, the ethics report highlights several acts allegedly taken by Gaetz that lawmakers claim are state crimes. And that could lead to further legal entanglements for Gaetz, Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel for legal advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told Vox.


“Of course, the committee no longer has jurisdiction over Mr. Gaetz, but … I would venture to guess that there is some conduct that he engaged in that can and should be investigated by local law enforcement,” dependent on state laws, statutes of limitations, and local willingness to launch an investigation, Sherman said.


The ethics report finds that Gaetz violated Florida state law by having sex with the 17-year-old, paying for sex, and using illicit drugs. Florida law enforcement officials have yet to announce any investigations into Gaetz related to either allegation. The DOJ has also made no indication it intends to revisit the matter, and given Gaetz is a Trump ally who was once in line to lead that department, it seems unlikely that Trump’s DOJ would reopen the case into Gaetz.