MH17 inquiry: ‘Strong indications’ Putin permitted missile provide

An worldwide investigation group discovered “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin permitted missile provide to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014.

Digna van Boetzelaer, the Netherlands, Andy Kraag, the Netherlands, David McLean, Australia, Asha Hoe Soo Lian, Malaysia, Eric van der Sypt, Belgium, and Oleksandr Bannyk, Ukraine, take their seats for the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) information convention in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

By Associated Press: An worldwide group of investigators mentioned Wednesday it discovered “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin permitted the provision of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 with a Russian missile.

However, members of the Joint Investigation Team mentioned they’d inadequate proof to prosecute Putin or every other suspects they usually suspended their 8½-year inquiry into the taking pictures down that killed all 298 individuals on board the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Russia has all the time denied any involvement within the downing of the flight over jap Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the worldwide investigation.

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Dutch prosecutors mentioned that “there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying” a Buk missile system — the weapon that downed MH17 — to Ukrainian separatists.

“Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached,” Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer mentioned, including that with out Russian cooperation, “the investigation has now reached its limit. All leads have been exhausted.”

She additionally mentioned that, as head of state, Putin would have immunity from prosecution within the Netherlands. The group performed a recording of an intercepted telephone name during which they mentioned Putin could possibly be heard discussing the battle in jap Ukraine.

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“Are we disappointed? No, because we think we came further than we had ever thought in 2014. Would we have liked to come further? Of course, yes,” mentioned Andy Kraag of the Dutch police.

The group knowledgeable relations of these killed within the downing of MH17 of their findings earlier than making them public.

“There was disappointment because … they wanted to know why MH17 was shot down,” Kraag mentioned. “We’re really clear on what has happened, but the answer to the question why MH17 was shot down still remains in Russia.”

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Van Boetzelaer mentioned that whereas the investigation is being suspended, telephone traces will stay open for potential witnesses who should still need to present proof. If that occurs, the inquiry could possibly be reactivated.

Russian officers say {that a} choice to offer rebels with army assist over the summer season of 2014 was in Putin’s palms.

A call to produce arms was even postponed for every week “because there is only one who makes a decision (…), the person who is currently at a summit in France,” the investigative group mentioned, citing a telephone dialog that was referring to Putin.

Prosecutors mentioned that on the time Putin was at a commemoration of D-Day in France.

The announcement by the investigative group comes practically three months after a Dutch courtroom convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian insurgent for his or her roles in taking pictures down the aircraft. One Russian was acquitted by the courtroom.

None of the suspects appeared for the trial and it was unclear if the three who had been discovered responsible of a number of murders will ever serve their sentences.

The convictions and the courtroom’s discovering that the surface-to-air Buk missile got here from a Russian army base had been seen as a transparent indication that Moscow had a task within the tragedy. Russia has all the time denied involvement. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the courtroom in November of bowing to strain from Dutch politicians, prosecutors and the information media.

But the November convictions held that Moscow was in total management in 2014 over the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, the separatist space of jap Ukraine the place the missile was launched. The Buk missile system got here from the Russian army’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, primarily based within the metropolis of Kursk.

The Joint Investigation Team is made up of specialists from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Belgium and Ukraine. Most of the victims had been Dutch. It had continued to research the crew of the missile system that introduced down the aircraft and people who ordered its deployment in Ukraine.

As nicely because the prison trial that was held within the Netherlands, the Dutch and Ukrainian governments are suing Russia on the European Court of Human Rights over its alleged position within the downing of MH17.

The findings revealed Wednesday will doubtless strengthen the case on the human rights courtroom and may be utilized by prosecutors on the International Criminal Court who’re investigating potential conflict crimes in Ukraine relationship again to the beginning of the separatist battle.

Posted By:

Manisha Pandey

Published On:

Feb 9, 2023