EU URGES RUSSIA TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MH17 DOWNING ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- The European Union (EU) reiterates its call for Russia to accept responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 10 years ago and to fully cooperate in serving justice.

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the downing of MH17 over the eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said the EU reiterates its full support for all efforts to establish truth, justice and accountability, in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2166.

“On July 17, we honour the memory of the 298 innocent people, including 80 children, of 17 nationalities who lost their lives in the downing of Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH17 10 years ago. 

“The ten-year commemoration brings back very painful memories. We renew our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims,” he said in a statement issued on the 10th anniversary of the downing of MH17 on Wednesday.

On Nov 17, 2022, the District Court of The Hague sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for their role in the downing of Flight MH17.

Meanwhile, Borrell said the EU emphasises that the evidence presented by the Joint Investigation Team in the proceedings before the Dutch District Court, and submitted to the ECHR and the ICAO, makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

“No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law,” he said.

Borrell said the EU takes note of the proceedings initiated by the Netherlands against the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), as well as the proceedings initiated by Australia and the Netherlands before the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which are important steps towards achieving truth, justice and accountability.

The MAS commercial flight MH17 departed at 12.15 pm (Amsterdam time) from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and was scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10 am (Malaysian time) on Friday, July 18.

 However, at 10.15 pm (Malaysian time), MAS received information from the Ukrainian Air Traffic Control (ATC) that it lost contact with Flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT), at a position of 30 kilometres (km) from Tamak, about 50 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

On Nov 17, 2022, the court sentenced Girkin, Dubinsky and Kharchenko to life imprisonment after they were found guilty of shooting down Flight MH17 and killing all 298 passengers and crew while Pulatov was acquitted on the same charge.

Girkin, Dubinsky and Kharchenko were also ordered to pay more than 16 million Euros (RM75.26 million) in compensation to the relatives of the victims.

The court concluded that MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile from an agricultural field in eastern Ukraine, citing extensive evidence that did not leave “any possibility for reasonable doubt whatsoever”.

-- BERNAMA