Eleven years after the tragic crash of Air Algerie flight AH5017, families of the 116 victims, which included 54 French nationals, continue to demand justice and call for a trial to be held in France.
The case underscores persistent delays in international judicial proceedings following air disasters, with families long denouncing what they describe as a state of “judicial abandonment.”
Flight AH5017, operated by Spanish airline Swiftair on behalf of Air Algerie, crashed on July 24, 2014, in northern Mali shortly after taking off from Ouagadougou en route to Algiers.
The families, organized under the “AH5017 Ensemble” association, accuse Swiftair of engaging in procedural stalling tactics to avoid appearing before French courts. “It’s been eleven years and nothing is moving forward. The airline must take responsibility,” stated Julien Gallon, whose sibling was among the victims. Other members, such as Angelique Jouvin and Jean-Luc Masson, echoed the demand for legal accountability as a vital step in their mourning process.
The widespread sense of abandonment among the victims’ families has led to urgent pleas for the French judiciary to accelerate proceedings and ensure that a trial takes place without further delay.
SL/ac/sf/lb/abj/APA