2023 tragic accident: victims’ families demand justice
"I appeal to Monaco's judiciary to show that in this country, human life is sacred and cannot be taken away with impunity," declared the girl's father in an open letter © Monaco Tribune
A fatal accident occurred at the end of the Millenium tunnel in Monaco on 17 December 2023 at around 4.30 am. An Audi RS4 carrying five students from the International University of Monaco crashed into a low wall after an evening out at Twiga.
Two students lost their lives: Dilara Akhundova, 19, from Kazakhstan, who died at the scene, and Ayana Nurshanova, 20, from Azerbaijan, who died a few days later from her injuries at the Pasteur hospital in Nice. The three others survived: two passengers and the driver. The driver, a 22-year-old Finn and IUM student, had a blood alcohol level of 1.87 grammes per litre at the time of the accident, almost four times the legal limit of 0.5 grammes. Tests revealed no traces of drugs.
Having been in hospital for a long time, then undergoing rehabilitation, the driver was unable to be interviewed until February 2024. He was charged in March 2024 with “aggravated manslaughter and aggravated involuntary injury” and placed under the court’s supervision with a €60,000 bond. The prosecutor’s office had requested that he be remanded in custody. According to Monaco’s public prosecutor, the accused “regrets the events but does not remember them.” CCTV footage and images taken inside the vehicle confirmed that the driver was speeding.
This silence is becoming unbearable
Vugar Akhundov, Dilara’s father, published an open letter in Monaco-Matin in July 2025. In it he condemns the lengthy wait for justice, and publishes a petition calling for an urgent criminal trial, a firm judicial response, tougher laws against drink-driving and recognition of the victims’ memory.
“It has been over a year and a half now. Nineteen months of silence, waiting and anguish. While we, as parents, visit our daughters’ graves, mourning their loss every day, while we struggle simply to cope with the unbearable pain – the man responsible for this tragedy is free. He is living life to the full, he is seen on the beaches, in the restaurants, in the clubs, as if the tragedy had never occurred. He gets to enjoy his youth, while our children’s was brutally cut short… Today, this silence is becoming unbearable. Because we refuse to let this tragedy be forgotten. Because we refuse to allow such injustice to become the norm. Because no parent should have their child die because of a drink-driver’s lack of responsibility.” Excerpt from Vugar Akhundov’s open letter.
The petition, which translates as “Justice for Dilara and Ayana: appeal for a fair trial in Monaco,” launched by Vugar Akhundov, currently has over 200 signatures. A commemorative ceremony is planned at the scene of the accident. The trial has not yet been scheduled. The victims’ families, who have filed a civil suit, are still waiting for justice to be served.
Improving road safety in Monaco
“I also ask that this tragedy serve as a wake-up call: that Monaco become an example of firmness against drink-driving, to avoid other tragedies, to spare other families this infinite pain,” the girl’s father added in his open letter. “I’m not asking for revenge. I’m asking for justice. A year and a half later, we are still waiting for justice.”
Three fatal accidents claimed a total of six victims in 2023 in Monaco. The statistics show an increase in alcohol-related offences: 134 cases of drink-driving in 2023 compared with 101 in 2022. The authorities introduced tighter measures following further accidents at the end of 2024. In December 2024, the former Minister of State, Didier Guillaume, announced a number of actions: increased checks in sensitive areas, discussions with nightclubs and the distribution of awareness flyers.
A bill was tabled at the beginning of 2025 providing for three major changes: the authorisation of systematic alcohol checks (currently only in the event of an accident or signs of drunkenness), the creation of an offence of deliberately endangering others to punish dangerous behaviour before an accident occurs, and stronger penalties, deemed insufficiently dissuasive. There are plans to install speed cameras in all Monaco tunnels. In April 2025, the impoundment period for offending vehicles was extended to 120 hours during major events such as the Grand Prix.