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| MH17 was partly reconstructed as part of the investigation into the disaster. Photo | Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters |
Today a Dutch court has found three men guilty of the mass murder of 298 people and unlawfully causing an aeroplane to crash in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 operating flight MH17 on 17th July 2014.
Two Russians and a Ukrainian, Leonid Kharchenko, Sergei Dubinsky and Igor Girkin were all found guilty in their absence with each getting a life sentence. A third Russian, Oleg Pulatov, the only one to employ legal representation during the trial was acquitted by the judges.
The 777 was operating flight MH17 between Amsterdam and Kula Lumpur and was shot down with a Buk missile launcher that was Russian-made and supplied. The jet had 298 onboard at the time, coming from 17 countries, the majority - 196 were from the Netherlands, 43 from Malaysia, 38 from Australia and 10 from the UK.
Sergei Dubinsky ordered and oversaw the transport of the Buk missile launcher
Leonid Kharchenko oversaw the Buk, acting on Dubinsky's instructions.
Igor Girkin, was the military leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, who was convicted of deploying the missile and seeking Russian help.
The UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly gave a statement following the conclusion of the flight MH17 trial:
"Today’s guilty verdict, convicting 3 individuals of murder in relation to the downing of MH17, is an important step in securing justice for the families of the victims.Two hundred and ninety eight lives, including those of 10 British nationals, were tragically lost on 17 July 2014. Thousands more have been devastated in the years since, as family and friends continue to grieve for their loved ones.The downing of MH17 was a shocking violation of international norms which keep our societies safe. It serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of Russia’s actions in Ukraine over many years.My thoughts remain with the families of all those killed in this heinous attack, including people from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, New Zealand and Canada."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "An important court decision in The Hague. The first sentences for the perpetrators of downing MH17. Punishment for all RF's [Russia's] atrocities then & now is inevitable."
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said: "This is yet another step in the pursuit of truth and justice for the victims and their loved ones. And important as this verdict is, it is not the final conclusion … It is not the end. All parties will have the right to appeal, so the judgment is not yet final. But to reiterate, an important step has been taken today."
