We won’t stop pursuing justice, says govt 9 years after MH17 downing

 

Forty-three Malaysians were among all the 298 aboard killed when MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. (AP pic)

PETALING JAYA: The government will not stop pursuing justice for the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was downed over eastern Ukraine exactly nine years ago.

The transport ministry said the verdict by the district court of The Hague in the Netherlands marked a significant milestone in uncovering the truth and establishing justice for all the 298 victims and their next of kin.

Forty-three Malaysians who were onboard the fateful flight.

“Nevertheless, the pursuit of justice does not conclude with this development,” it said in a statement.

“The International Civil Aviation Organization, at its 228th session meeting on March 17, decided to proceed with the settlement-of-differences hearing between the conflicting parties.

“Malaysia is resolute that the process must pursue truth, justice and accountability.”

In November, the Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader of murder for helping to deploy the Russian BUK missile system that was used to shoot MH17 down.

The three men, who were tried in absentia, remain at large.

At the time the plane was shot down, Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province.

While Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014, it denied military involvement in fighting in Donetsk at that time.

However, as part of the conviction of the three men, the Dutch court ruled that Russia had “overall control” of separatist forces in Donetsk starting from May 2014.

The prosecutors said they could not identify the specific soldiers from Russia’s 53rd brigade in Kursk, who were responsible for firing the missile.

They cited a 2014 phone intercept between Russian officials as evidence that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s approval had been necessary before a request for equipment made by the separatists could be granted.

In addition, they played a 2017 conversation between Putin and the Russian-appointed chief administrator of Ukraine’s Luhansk province, in which they discussed the military situation and a prisoner exchange.

Piet Ploeg, who heads a foundation representing the victims, said he was disappointed that the investigation had ended, but was glad the prosecutors had laid out their evidence of Putin’s involvement. - FMT