Madagascar: Trial on Boeing 777 Sale to Iran Postponed to October 27

The trial concerning the sale of five Boeing 777s found in Iran has been postponed to October 27 by Madagascar's courts, one year after the discovery of these aircraft.

Thirty-three people are facing charges in this case, notably for forgery and use of forged documents as well as for breaches of national sovereignty. The postponement extends an already lengthy judicial proceeding initiated following the discovery of the five aircraft registered in Madagascar but found on Iranian territory.

The case raises questions about the channels used to route these planes to Iran, a country subject to significant international sanctions that limit access to Western aeronautical equipment in particular. The use of Madagascar's registration for these aircraft is at the heart of the forgery accusations against the defendants.

Madagascar's judicial authorities have not specified the exact reasons for this new postponement, nor whether additional investigative evidence was still expected before the trial scheduled for October 27.

This case, which involves a substantial number of defendants, continues to draw attention to how aircraft registered in certain countries can end up, through complex arrangements, in the hands of actors targeted by international sanctions.