Government informs UN Security Council on MH17 trial

The criminal trial of four individuals suspected of downing flight MH17 begins on 9 March 2020. This is an important milestone that brings us a step closer to establishing the truth and achieving justice for the victims and their next of kin. Today, the Netherlands notified the UN Security Council about the start of the trial, on behalf of all the countries in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) – Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

Last June the Public Prosecution Service decided to prosecute the four individuals, with the unanimous support of the investigative authorities in the other JIT countries. The criminal investigation into the involvement of other persons is still in progress. In line with UN resolution 2166, the Netherlands calls on all countries, including the Russian Federation, to cooperate fully with the JIT’s criminal investigation.

The trial will take time and require patience. The government has great respect for the way the next of kin are dealing with this situation. By tracking down and prosecuting those responsible for the downing of flight MH17, we are getting ever closer to establishing what happened. This remains the highest priority for the government. The deaths of 298 innocent people of 17 different nationalities cannot go unpunished. We are committed to this goal, together with the other JIT countries and with the broad support of the international community.