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.

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