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Russia is guilty of shooting down flight MH17 and has thereby violated
international agreements on civil aviation, the Council of the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO Council) has ruled. The organization made
this decision in a case brought by the Netherlands and Australia, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs reports.
 
In the coming weeks, the council will consider what Russia must do to ensure
legal redress. The Netherlands and Australia have requested that the council
impose on Russia to enter into negotiations with the countries on this matter,
under the guidance of ICAO.
 
ICAO is part of the United Nations. The 193 affiliated countries have signed
the Chicago Convention, which states that these states may not use weapons
against aircraft in civil aviation. According to the ICAO Council, Russia has
violated this treaty. The ICAO Council reached this conclusion on Monday after
a vote among its members.
 
Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs) believes the decision is good news
for the relatives and victims of flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine
on 17 July 2014. "The decision cannot take away their grief and suffering, but
it is an important step towards finding the truth, justice and accountability
for all victims of flight MH17 and their relatives," said the NSC minister.
 
The Malaysia Airlines plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when
pro-Russian separatists shot it down. All aboard were killed, among them 196
Dutch nationals.
 
In 2022, the court in The Hague sentenced three suspects to life imprisonment
for their involvement in shooting down the flight. It concerns rebel leader
Igor Girkin, his right-hand man Sergei Dubinski and garrison commander Leonid
Khartsjenko. A fourth suspect was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The
convicted men were not extradited by Russia and therefore did not serve their
sentences.
 
The MH17 Air Disaster Foundation speaks of an "incredibly good result",
according to chairman Piet Ploeg. He calls it "incredibly important" that a UN
organization now also judges that Russia is responsible. Ploeg expects a
ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in the coming months. These
rulings give relatives the feeling that "they are not alone", according to
Ploeg.
 
The MH17 Truth Finding Working Group, a group of and for relatives that is
committed to fully revealing the facts that led to the doning of the flight,
is "delighted" with the ruling. "This is a strong signal to Russia to take
responsibility for its actions. This is exactly what the working group has
been asking of Russia for years," the organization states, which now sees
itself supported "by an important UN body."

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