‘Strong signs’ but Putin has no basis: MH17 study

The Joint Investigation Team released its final report. Photo: Sem van der Waal ANP

There are ‘strong indications’ that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to supply Ukrainian separatists with missiles to shoot down planes MH17 in 2014 — but not strong enough to prosecute, investigators said Wednesday.

of joint investigation team (JIT) has spent eight-and-a-half years investigating the downing of the aircraft and the deaths of 298 civilians and crew members, but is now ending the operation as it cannot go any further. officials said.

Last November, the District Court of The Hague filed criminal charges against Russians Igor Gherkin and Sergey Dubinsky and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko for the downing of Flight MH17 over separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. determined to be responsible.

published a 67-page report on their findings, JIT At a press conference in The Hague, members said there was currently insufficient evidence to prosecute other suspects for their role in shooting down a civilian plane that killed 196 Dutch citizens.

‘We have strong signs [Putin’s] Making decisions, but not reaching high standards [for prosecution]said Dutch prosecutor Digna van Wetzeler. “At the moment Putin is the head of state. He is immune. Only after he is [no longer] Head of State, can we consider step by step:

Russia has consistently denied any involvement in the MH17 disaster and has repeatedly denied supplying the missile that shot it down.

However, according to prosecutors, further investigations International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights We use evidence gathered from interviews, intercepted phone calls, satellite imagery, and other key sources.

phone

The press conference, which was attended by representatives of prosecutors or police from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Belgium and Ukraine, included figures like Putin himself and others discussing prisoner exchanges and military leaders in eastern Ukraine. It included a phone call that claimed to have been made between

One referred to Putin obliquely, saying, according to the JIT, “it is he who makes the decisions, no one else,” calling him “the first person.” The self-proclaimed leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic said they repeatedly asked Russia for anti-aircraft missiles to ignite fighting with Ukrainian forces in 2014, especially since Ukrainian military aircraft were flying over them.

The Buk missile system that shot down the plane was supplied by Russia in a lawsuit last year that sentenced Gherkin, Dubinsky and Kharchenko to life in prison and did not hold criminal charges against a fourth suspect, Oleg Platov. It has been found.

Case

Piet Ploeg, president of the relatives’ organization Stichting Vliegramp MH17, told Dutch News that the report would be taken into account by the state. European Court of Human Rights and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “Equally important is the information that Putin was personally interested in the situation in the Donbass region, shown through intercepted telephone conversations, and made decisions about the delivery of weapons,” he said. I was.

“It’s shocking that he was personally involved in the war and always said Russia didn’t exist.

“Of course, our relatives wanted to know who the crew of the Buk Teller were. [missile]Because only they can answer the question of why this happened, whether it was an accident, a conscious choice, or something in between.

disappointment

Andy Cragg, head of the Dutch police’s National Criminal Investigation Unit, said there were mixed feelings between relatives and investigators.

“Of course there was disappointment. Of course they wanted to know why MH17 was shot down,” he said. “Close relatives were grateful for the work they had done so far. It was a double feeling of disappointment and admiration.

He added: No, we got further than we thought. But at this point we are at our limit. The next answer lies with Russia, and unless there is cooperation from Russia, the answer will remain there. “