7 months Ago
Court Finds Russia Complicit in MH17 Tragedy
In a comprehensive 501-page judgment, the court found unanimously that the missile that shot down flight MH17 was fired by Russian troops or separatists supported by Russia. The plane was downed by a Buk missile system, and all passengers and crew members were killed.
The court also determined that Russia had subjected the victims’ families to inhuman treatment. It had impeded the digging for the bodies and disseminated misinformation. Piet Ploeg, chairman of the MH17 Air Disaster Foundation and who lost family in the crash, said the decision was long overdue.
“It’s an acknowledgement of what we as a family have known about for a very long time. But it does matter to be acknowledged. You can’t just get away with this,” he said.
Global Responses and Continuing Justice Initiatives
The court’s ruling was a significant step toward justice, said Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who welcomed the court’s decision. “Today, my thoughts are with all the family members who, for over 10 years, have lived without their family, loved ones, and friends,” he wrote in the message.
Ukraine too welcomed the ruling, which it called a decisive legal victory. The country’s justice ministry called it a “crucial step to establish full accountability of Russia.”
The court also pointed to Russia’s responsibility for serious and continuing abuses in eastern Ukraine, including killings, torture, sexual violence, and attacks on civilian infrastructure, all since 2014.
An international investigation team led by the Netherlands which includes four other countries had earlier tracked the missile to a Russian military unit located in Kursk.
The finding supported previous evidence set out to a Dutch court, where three commanders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic were convicted in absentia of involvement in the disaster and sentenced to life in prison. A fourth suspect was acquitted.
The European court decision adds to international pressure on Russia to be held accountable for its actions in Ukraine and the downing of MH17.
