Guterres renews call for accountability 10 years after ‘tragic downing’ of flight MH17 | UN News
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is remembering the 298 people killed in “the tragic downing” of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over conflict-affected eastern Ukraine 10 years ago this Wednesday, his Spokesperson said in a statement.
Resolution 2166 called for a full, thorough and independent probe into the incident.
The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established in August 2014 and included Australia, Malaysia and Belgium – countries affected by the crash – as well as Ukraine.
In May 2018, the JIT determined that the missile system used to down the plane originated from a Russian brigade. At the time, Russia said that evidence did not exist to support the findings.
Trial in The Hague
The Netherlands moved to prosecute four people – three Russians and a Ukrainian - for bringing down flight MH17 and for the murder of all those on board. They were tried in absentia as both the Russian and Ukrainian constitutions do not allow extradition.
Preliminary hearings began in March 2020 at the District Court in The Hague. The trial concluded in November 2022 and three defendants were found guilty while the fourth was acquitted.
Since the crash, war in Ukraine has escalated following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. More than 11,000 people have been killed to date, though the actual number is likely to be higher.
