Malaysian airliner MH17 crashed in Ukraine

[Natalka]

Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, has held a telephone phone conversation with the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte about the MH17 report.

Poroshenko’s office said he expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

Poroshenko emphasised that completion and publication of technical investigation was an important step towards bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The two leaders also discussed joint actions on how to bring those responsible to justice.

They agreed that final decision on such mechanism would be approved on the basis of the results of criminal investigation carried out jointly by Ukraine, the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia and Belgium.

[Natalka]

NATO Secretary General statement on Dutch Safety Board’s report into MH-17 crash

I commend the Dutch Safety Board for conducting an independent, neutral and open investigation. Their report fulfils the objectives set out by the United Nations Security Council and the investigation was conducted in full accordance with the rules and procedures of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.


This report contributes to provide answers to the many questions from the families of the victims.


The findings confirm that it was a Buk-missile which brought down the aircraft.


Those directly and indirectly responsible for the downing of MH17 should be held accountable and brought to justice as soon as possible.


Jens Stoltenberg





http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/ne...13+mh17+report

[Natalka]

Attempted murder committed of the chief expert on MH17 case

11.04.2016

A preson who attempted murder of chief expert on MH17 case in Ukraine detained and arrested today, Ukrainian Prosecutor General HQ reports.

Citizens with criminal history, who are Crimean and Donbass origins and have close contacts with Russian Federation attemted murder assult on director of the Kiev scientific research institute of forensic examinations Alexander Ruvin. The crime is committed by the order of those persons with the one goal – to stop the expert research on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 shot down case investigation, Anatoliy Matios says.

The Main Military Prosecutor’s Office, National Police along with Security Service of Ukraine were raided several towns of Ukraine earlier today.

http://empr.media/news/conflict-zone...ert-mh17-case/

[Darth Penguin]

MH17 victim's families suing Putin

Families of victims of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 are suing Russia and its President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights.
The jet was shot down by a Russian-made missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 on board.
The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed rebels were responsible but Russia accuses Ukrainian forces.
The families' claim is based on the violation of a passenger's right to life, News.com.au reported.
The claim is for 10 million Australian dollars ($7.2m; £4.9m) for each victim, and the lawsuit names both the Russian state and its president as respondents.
Jerry Skinner, a US-based aviation lawyer leading the case, told News.com.au it was difficult for the families to live with, knowing it was "a crime".
"The Russians don't have any facts for blaming Ukraine, We have facts, photographs, memorandums, tonnes of stuff."
Mr Skinner said they were waiting to hear from the ECHR whether the case had been accepted.

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

MH17 WE REMEMBER - Пам'ятаємо

On the second anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 on July 17, 2014, Ukrainians remember the victims of this horrific terrorist act and continue to stand in solidarity with the families and friends who, to this day, pursue accountability for this crime.




President Petro Poroshenko emphasizes that perpetrators of the MH17 tragedy must be punished. Ukraine and the countries whose citizens became victims of the tragedy make every effort to bring them to justice.

“Ukraine remembers every victim of the MH17 tragedy. Terrorism is inadmissible in any form and perpetrators of this tragedy must be punished,” the Head of State noted on the second anniversary of the MH17 tragedy that took place in the sky over Donbas occupied by Russians.

Petro Poroshenko stressed that in order to investigate the crime that took 298 lives and punish those guilty, Ukraine works actively with Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and the Netherlands to create an international mechanism for bringing every perpetrator to justice.

“Civil aircraft, Malaysian Boeing 777 was shot down by Russian terrorists who used weaponry produced and supplied by Russia. A lot has been already done to bring the criminals to justice. The Dutch Security Council has conducted a comprehensive technical investigation into the causes of the disaster. Criminal investigation of the crime is now being completed under the auspices of the Office of the Prosecutor of the Netherlands,” the President said.

The Head of State emphasized: only Russia hinders the investigation. “Abusing the veto, Russia has blocked the UN Security Council decision to establish the International Tribunal on the investigation of the MH17 tragedy, which is an indirect and logical proof of its involvement in the crime. However, jointly with our partners, we are doing everything necessary to bring those guilty to justice,” he noted.

“Just as every Ukrainian, I share the pain of those who lost their beloved ones in the MH17 tragedy. And I will keep on fighting for every criminal responsible for this tragedy to face a deserved and inevitable punishment,” Petro Poroshenko stated.

http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/...rezident-37677

[Natalka]

Malaysia vows to seek truth 2 years after MH17 tragedy

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian government reiterated its commitment on Sunday to seek the truth two years after the loss of Malaysian Airlines fight MH17.


Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the downing of flight MH17 "was a criminal act that outraged the world and caused the loss of all 298 lives aboard."


"The Malaysian government continues all efforts to find a full and satisfactory explanation of the events that led to this tragedy," he said through his social network account.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said his country remains wholly committed and determined in pursuit to bring justice to the criminals responsible for the loss of so many innocent lives.


The criminal investigations by a joint investigation team is expected to come out with preliminary conclusions on the forensic research conducted, including the type of weapon used and other pertinent details, by the later part of this year, Liow said in a statement.


He also called for strengthening international cooperation to improve security standards in civil aviation, including the implementation of real time global tracking of commercial aircraft as well as addressing the risks to civil aviation arising from conflict zones.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20..._135519269.htm

[Natalka]

Malaysian flight MH17 downed by Russian-made missile: prosecutors

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a missile fired from a launcher brought into Ukraine from Russia and located in a village held by pro-Russian rebels, international prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The findings counter Moscow's suggestion that the passenger plane, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, was brought down by Ukraine's military rather than the separatists.
The conclusions were based on thousands of wiretaps, photographs, witness statements and forensic tests during more than two years of inquiries into an incident which led to a sharp rise in tensions between Russia and the West.

Among the key findings were: the plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk-9M38 missile; the missile was fired from the rebel-held village of Pervomaysk in eastern Ukraine; and the launcher was transported into Ukraine from Russia.

"This Buk trailer came from the territory of the Russian Federation, and after the launch it was returned again to the territory of the Russian Federation," said Wilbert Paulissen, chief investigator with the Dutch national police.

In reaction to the investigators' findings, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called on Russia "to lend all possible cooperation" to the inquiry, which will now shift its focus to identifying individual suspects.

Prosecutors said that while they had not brought charges against culprits or established a court, they had identified 100 individuals of interest in relation to the incident on July 17, 2014.

"Of a number of them, we know pretty exactly what their role and position was, for instance those who organized the arrival of the Buk rocket and who were in charge of the transport that day," said Fred Westerbeke, chief prosecutor at the Netherlands National Prosecutor's office.
"We know exactly what happened, but who exactly was in charge, and whether it was done intentionally, there the investigation is still continuing," Westerbeke said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uk...-idUSKCN11Y0WN

[Natalka]

Karel van Oosterom‏Verified account @KvanOosterom 12h

Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

In commemoration of #MH17 victims, 298 trees are planted in the Netherlands in shape of a ribbon, by family members and Minister Koenders

[ben.barbour]

Thanks for sharing those photos, Natalka.

[Natalka]

July 5, 2017

Suspects in MH17 crash in Ukraine to be prosecuted in Netherlands


The five countries working together in the investigation of the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 have picked the Netherlands as the country where suspects will be prosecuted.
The choice for the Dutch legal system is an “important step” in the prosecution process as Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine are continuing their investigation, the Dutch government said in a statement on Wednesday. The probe into who can be held responsible is “extensive,” it said. No suspect has been identified so far.

Dutch investigators concluded in September last year that the Boeing jet en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was brought down by a BUK missile system fired from rebel-held territory in Ukraine and shuttled back and forth from Russia.

“While we cannot take away the grief of those who lost their loved ones because of this atrocious act, we are committed to holding the perpetrators to account and achieving justice for all the victims,” Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a joint statement.

The U.S. and other Western powers have said that all evidence points to separatists having downed MH17, while Ukraine called the disaster a “planned terrorist act.”


The Joint Investigation Team consists of the Dutch public prosecutor and a dedicated Dutch police force, as well as police and juridical authorities of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The group is seeking to establish the facts, to identify who’s responsible for the crash and to collect evidence for prosecution.
The Netherlands took the lead in both investigations because the majority of victims were Dutch. Many other victims were from Malaysia and Australia.



The site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner carrying 298 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine

http://nationalpost.com/news/world/s...f-34804e11e831

[Natalka]

Malaysia Airlines flight: memorial held for victims 3 years after it was shot down

Malaysia held a memorial service Thursday to mark the anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, which killed all 298 people aboard.
More than 90 family members attended the memorial, which was followed by an official briefing on the ongoing investigation.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters after the event, which was closed to the media, that the investigation was “very detailed and we are quite convinced that we will be able to find the culprits.”

http://globalnews.ca/news/3595315/ma...down-memorial/

[Natalka]

Protesters call on Russia to cooperate with probe into downing of flight MH17

Family members of the victims of flight MH 17 that was shot down over Ukraine in 2014 protested outside the Russian embassy in The Hague Saturday, one day ahead of the anniversary of the plane's downing.
They were calling on the Kremlin to stop blocking investigations into the deadly incident.



http://www.dw.com/en/protesters-call...h17/a-39711910

[Natalka]

MH17 memorial unveiled in The Netherlands


Dutch King Willem-Alexander (left) and his wife Queen Maxima attend an event to unveil a national monument commemorating the victims of the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine, in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.

More than 2,000 relatives gathered in the Netherlands to unveil a memorial to family members who were killed when a passenger jet was shot down by a missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on July 17 attended the ceremony the ceremony to dedicate the memorial to flight MH17's victims in Vijfhuizen park, near Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Family members read the names of the 298 passengers and crew killed when the Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down during what should have been a routine flight from Schiphol to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014.

A total of 298 trees have been planted in the shape of a green ribbon -- one for each of the 283 passengers and 15 crew – in what organizers called a "living memorial." They said the trees will be surrounded by sunflowers, which bloom in July and will "radiate a golden glow" over the site.

https://www.rferl.org/a/mh17-amsterdam-ukraine-russia-malaysia-disaster/28620074.html

[Natalka]

Local residents lay flowers to commemorate victims of the Malaysian Airlines plane, near the village of Hrabove, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Monday, July 17, 2017


In Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko said his country is mourning the victims and said he believes the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to justice.


"We have faith in the objectivity and impartiality of the Dutch justice and that masterminds behind this crime will be inevitably brought to justice," Poroshenko said in a Twitter post Monday.

[Natalka]

Netherlands - The design of the forest monument has been inspired by the form of the black memorial ribbon, which was used as a symbol in the aftermath of the crash, and is also used by Stichting Vliegramp MH17. The layout of the forest has got the form of a green ribbon, 298 trees are planted in this form, each tree representing a person on board of flight MH17.

The ribbon is surrounded by a ring of sunflowers, which blossom during the month of July, which radiates a golden glow. The sunflowers also refer to the sunflower fields in eastern Ukraine where some parts of the plane wreckage were found.