An international team of investigators says there are “clear indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the supply of missiles to the separatists that shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. in 2014.
But members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the Netherlands said they did not have enough evidence to prosecute any more suspects and suspended an eight-and-a-half-year investigation into the tragedy. As head of state, Putin also has immunity.
MH17 was shot down by a Russian missile launched from eastern Ukraine while it was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam on July 17, 2014. All 298 people on the plane The Boeing 777 was killed.
Russia denies involvement in the incident and refuses to cooperate with the international investigation.
Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said: “There are clear indications of a decision at the presidential level, by President Putin, to supply … the Buk TELAR missile system.”
Investigators have confirmed that the Buk brought down the Malaysian plane, which was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10km).
“Although we speak of certain signs, the high standard of sufficient and convincing evidence has not yet been reached,” she told a news conference in The Hague.
The announcement comes less than three months after a Dutch court sentenced two Russian and a Ukrainian for murder overcome disaster. The three men – Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky of Russia and Leonid Kharchenko of Ukraine – did not appear at the trial and are unlikely to serve life sentences.
Some 196 of those killed in the crash were Dutch, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that while the JIT’s decision to suspend the investigation was a “bitter disappointment”, the Dutch government Lan will “continue to hold the Russian Federation accountable”.
Australia, home to 38 passengers, promises the same.
Foreign Secretary Penny Wong and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said Russia has repeatedly tried to obstruct the investigation.
“Russia’s illegal and unscrupulous invasion of Ukraine and its lack of cooperation with the investigation have made ongoing investigative efforts and evidence collection impossible at this time. ‘ they said in a joint statement on Thursday.
They added that Australia would “hold Russia accountable for its role in the downing of a civilian airliner”.
Chain of commands
Russia has condemned last year’s court ruling that found the three men “notorious” and politically motivated.
However, the JIT – which includes the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Belgium and Ukraine – said the chain of command was clear.
Russian officials even postponed the decision to send weapons to Ukrainian separatists because Putin was attending D-Day celebrations in France in June 2014, they said, broadcasting a intercepted phone call from an adviser said the delay was “because only one person made a decision…who is currently attending a summit in France”.
Putin himself could also be heard talking about the “military component” in another phone call with a separatist leader from Ukraine’s Luhansk region.
Families of the victims said they were disappointed by the decision to halt the investigation.
Piet Ploeg, chairman of the MH17 foundation, who lost his brother, sister-in-law and grandson in the disaster, said: “We had hoped for more but we didn’t believe it.
The investigators said they felt they had achieved more than they thought possible in 2014.
“Are we disappointed? No, because we think we’ve gone further than we thought in 2014. Do we want to go further? Of course yes,” said Andy Kraag of the Dutch police, adding that “the answer still lies in Russia”.
Van Boetzelaer said that while the investigation is suspended, phone lines will remain open for witnesses who may still wish to provide evidence. If that happens, the investigation can be reactivated.
Other cases of MH17 are also being pursued.
The Government of the Netherlands and Ukraine is suing Russia at the European Court of Human Rights while Dutch and Australian Governments also commenced proceedings at the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The findings revealed Wednesday have the potential to strengthen the case in the human rights court and could also be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court who are investigating war crimes. possible war in Ukraine since the beginning of the separatist conflict.
