10 years ago, on July 17, 2014, flight number MH17 on the way from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) was shot down by a surface-to-air missile while flying over eastern Ukraine controlled by the Partition forces, killing 298 passengers and crew members.
After a multi-year international investigation, prosecutors have charged three Russiaans and one Ukrainian with multiple murder in connection with the shooting down of the Boeing 777.
Although three of the four suspects were sentenced to life in prison by the Dutch court in 2022, none of them were able to serve their sentences because the judgments were declared absent.
A joint investigation team including the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, and Ukraine in its conclusion on May 24, 2018 said that the Buk missile that shot MH17 came from the 53rd Air Defense missile Brigade, stationed in the Kursk region of Russia. On that basis, the Dutch and Australian governments held Russia accountable.
Russia denied any involvement in the MH17 shooting, saying the incident occurred at the flight announcement area (FIR) of Ukraine and the Russian were not involved in the incident, and questioned the progress and reliability of the report.
After 10 years of the tragedy in the Donbass sky, it is clear that Dutch officials during the investigation of the MH17 crash have continuously sheltered the Ukrainian authorities from deliberately ignoring all the truth that shows their responsibility for the disaster, Sputnik quoted a statement on the website of the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands on July 17, 2024.
On the Russian side, this approach is not to verify the truth but also to further politicize the issue. The Russian Embassy noted that the real situations of the tragedy have not yet been determined.
The Russian Federation regrets to note that in the past, the high level of politicization in the MH17 case has not allowed the conduct of complete, thorough and independent international investigations as required by Resolution 2166 of the United Nations Security Council, the statement added.
On July 17, 2024, a ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the MH17 tragedy was held at a park near Schiphol Airport near the Dutch capital Amsterdam.
There are 298 trees planted there, each representing a victim of the plane crash, as well as sunflowers inspired by flowers growing at the scene of the accident.
Most of the victims - 196 people - were Dutch citizens. The remaining people are citizens of a number of other countries including Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the US and the UK.
Some relatives of the Dutch victims expressed concern that due to their old age, they may never be seen for justice.
However, on July 15, the head of the joint investigation team and former prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer called on all parties not to be discouraged, adding that the Dutch judicial system was in no rush and justice would prevail.
I am sure that the MH17 incident will not be forgotten. There will always be someone who continues to pay attention to it. Whenever someone in Russia is willing to provide us with the final evidence, we will be ready to continue, said Van Boetzelaer.
She said that other individuals are being investigated, such as the BUK rocket launcher transportation team, but there is no authentic evidence so they cannot be prosecuted.
As for the suspects sentenced in absentia, Ms. van Boetzelaer said they were believed to be in Russia and that the country would not extradite them.
Interpol has issued a red alert for immediate arrests if the suspects go outside Russian-controlled territory. The subjects will then be taken to Amsterdam for trial.
Four months before MH17 was shot down, flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went missing in the Indian Ocean on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board.
