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The Netherlands Sues Russia Over the Downing of MH17 The Netherlands Sues Russia Over the Downing of MH17
(about 2 hours later)
AMSTERDAM — The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights over the downing nearly six years ago of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.AMSTERDAM — The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights over the downing nearly six years ago of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.
The Netherlands, home to roughly two-thirds of the victims, made the move to provide “maximum support” to individual cases brought to the European court by victims’ relatives, the country’s foreign minister, Stef Blok, wrote in a letter to Parliament released on Friday. The Netherlands, home to roughly two-thirds of the victims, made the move to provide “maximum support” to individual cases brought to the European court by victims’ relatives, the country’s foreign minister, Stef Blok, wrote in a letter to the Dutch Parliament released on Friday.
All 298 people on the flight were killed after a Buk surface-to-air missile from territory controlled by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels downed the plane on July 17, 2014, when it was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.All 298 people on the flight were killed after a Buk surface-to-air missile from territory controlled by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels downed the plane on July 17, 2014, when it was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Achieving justice for 298 victims of the downing of Flight MH17 is and will remain the government’s highest priority,” Mr. Blok said. “By taking this step today — bringing a case before the European Court of Human Rights and thus supporting the applications of the next of kin as much as we can — we are moving closer to this goal.” “Achieving justice for 298 victims of the downing of Flight MH17 is and will remain the government’s highest priority,” Mr. Blok said in a statement. “By taking this step today — bringing a case before the European Court of Human Rights and thus supporting the applications of the next of kin as much as we can — we are moving closer to this goal.”
Taking Russia to court enables the Netherlands to help the families of victims who are also seeking legal redress, by providing at least some of the evidence they need to prove their claims, Mr. Blok said in an interview.
“Many relatives have begun procedures and have now entered a phase where they need evidence. We have that evidence and providing it to the court by starting this procedure is the best way to help them,” he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, described Friday’s step as “another blow” to the relationship between Russia and the Netherlands.The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, described Friday’s step as “another blow” to the relationship between Russia and the Netherlands.
“The Hague took the path from the very beginning of placing all blame on Russia for the crash of Flight MH17,” Ms. Zakharova said in a statement. “We believe that this step will only lead to further politicization and will complicate the search for the truth.”“The Hague took the path from the very beginning of placing all blame on Russia for the crash of Flight MH17,” Ms. Zakharova said in a statement. “We believe that this step will only lead to further politicization and will complicate the search for the truth.”
Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the tragedy, despite growing evidence that the plane was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile sent into eastern Ukraine from a Russian military base across the border. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the tragedy, despite growing evidence that the plane was shot down by a Russian antiaircraft missile sent into eastern Ukraine from a Russian military base across the border.
Instead of addressing evidence unearthed by Dutch and other foreign investigators Moscow has generated a series of highly implausible counter explanations and conspiracy theories which have mostly focused on blaming Ukraine and attacking the legitimacy of the investigation. In the local criminal court case, the Dutch authorities said they had more than 300 witnesses, intercepted calls and messages, and radar data to support their conclusions.
The aircraft broke up in the sky and scattered debris and bodies across a vast area that was controlled by separatist forces. Instead of addressing the evidence, Moscow has generated a series of highly implausible counterexplanations and conspiracy theories that have mostly focused on blaming Ukraine and attacking the legitimacy of the investigation.
Western governments and investigators said that Russian-backed rebels fighting the Ukrainian government were responsible. Moscow has denied any involvement. Ukraine was fighting Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east when the missile brought down MH17. The aircraft broke up in the sky, scattering debris and bodies across a vast area that was controlled by separatist forces.
Western governments and investigators said that Russian-backed rebels fighting the Ukrainian government were responsible, a conflict that Moscow has denied having any military involvement in.
An investigative team of police officers from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine found that the antiaircraft missile used to shoot the plane down had been carried from a Russian military base across the border shortly before it was fired.An investigative team of police officers from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine found that the antiaircraft missile used to shoot the plane down had been carried from a Russian military base across the border shortly before it was fired.
International prosecutors indicted four men in June 2019, three of whom had ties to Russia’s intelligence and military agencies, and one of whom was from Ukraine. A trial against the men started in March in the Netherlands and is expected to resume in August, according to the Dutch courts. The suspects are being tried in absentia. International prosecutors indicted four men in June 2019, three of whom had ties to Russia’s intelligence and military agencies, and the other from Ukraine, charging them with murder. A trial against the men started in March in a district court in the Netherlands and is expected to resume in August, according to the Dutch court. The suspects are being tried in absentia.
Claire Moses and Elian Peltier contributed reporting from London, and Anton Troianovski and Andrew Higgins from Moscow. Russia is a signatory of the European Declaration of Human Rights, and by this, is bound to respect any decision by the court. The Netherlands and other countries have been in diplomatic contact with Russia in an effort to get the country to cooperate in the investigation, but there haven’t been clear results.
A Dutch legal expert said the move by the Netherlands means that the chances of a diplomatic solution must have been close to zero.
“The Russians are not meeting their legal obligations, and the Dutch government is concluding that having a ruling by an international court is required as a next step,” said Marieke de Hoon, an assistant professor of international law at the V.U. Amsterdam University, who has been closely following legal proceedings in the MH17 case.
“We are also seeing the Public Prosecution Office taking tough stances in the case at the district court in The Hague,” the one against the four defendants being tried in absentia, she said. “The Dutch are trying to get court rulings and they have a good chance of being successful.”
The shooting down of the civilian airliner and Russia’s denials of any involvement have irritated many in the Netherlands, and support for the relatives of victims is high.
“The Netherlands is now showing that they have full-out support,” for the families of victims, said Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, a Dutch lawmaker to whom Russia denied a visa after he led a successful effort to pass legislation creating human rights sanctions named after a Russian lawyer, the late Sergei Magnitski.
Mr. Sjoerdsma said that because the Public Prosecution office of the Netherlands has already collected evidence for the case at the district court, it is now easier to supply the European court with the same evidence. “We should try to get justice in every court available,” he said.
A group representing the families of victims said it was pleased with the Dutch decision to take Russia to court. They accuse Russia of stonewalling the investigation, despite what they say is clear evidence proving the country’s involvement.
“We are extremely satisfied with this move; the Netherlands are continuing their clear and consistent approach against Russia, said Piet Ploeg, the chairman of the MH17 Flight Disaster Foundation, representing family members of the crash victims.
Mr. Ploeg lost his brother, his brother’s wife and their son in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines plane. “We hope this will bring an end to the disinformation campaign by the Russian state and end their opposition to the investigation,” he said.
Claire Moses and Elian Peltier contributed reporting from London, and Anton Troianovski, Andrew Higgins and Andrew Kramer from Moscow.