Guterres continues to call for accountability 10 years after the ‘tragic downing’ of flight MH17
The Boeing 777 was en route from Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, when it was shot down near the Russian border, in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels, on July 17, 2014.
All 283 passengers and 15 crew members, representing some 16 nationalities, were killed. According to the Dutch government, 196 of the passengers were Dutch citizens.
Appeal of the head of the United Nations
“On the 10th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, the Secretary-General mourns with sadness the 298 people who lost their lives,” the statement said.
“In full solidarity with the families of the victims and in their memory, the Secretary-General calls on all States to extend their full cooperation in Security Council Resolution 2166 was passed in 2014, to ensure those responsible were held accountable, following the important work of the independent Joint Investigation Team.”
Resolution 2166 called for a comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation into the incident.
The Netherlands-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established in August 2014 and includes Australia, Malaysia and Belgium – the countries affected by the crash – as well as Ukraine.
In May 2018, the JIT determined that the missile system used to shoot down the aircraft originated from a Russian brigade. At that timeRussia said there was no evidence to support the findings.
Trial in The Hague
The Netherlands has prosecuted four men – three Russians and one Ukrainian – for shooting down flight MH17 and killing everyone on board. They are being tried in absentia because neither the Russian nor Ukrainian constitutions allow for extradition.
The preliminary hearing began in March 2020 at the District Court in The Hague. The trial concluded in November 2022, with three defendants convicted while the fourth defendant was acquitted.
Since the crash, the war in Ukraine has escalated after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. More than 11,000 people have been killed so far, although the actual number is likely higher.
