UN chief Antonio Guterres renews call for accountability 10 years after ‘tragic downing’ of flight MH17

The Boeing 777 flight was heading from Amsterdam, 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 17 July 2014.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members, together representing some 16 countries, were killed. The passengers included 196 Dutch nationals, according to the Government of the Netherlands.

UN chief’s appeal

“On the 10th anniversary of the tragic downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, the Secretary-General recalls with sadness the 298 victims who lost their lives,” the statement said.

“In full solidarity with the families of the victims and in honour of their memory, the Secretary-General renews his call on all States to extend their full cooperation pursuant to Security Council resolution 2166 that was adopted in 2014, to ensure that those responsible are held to account, following the important work of the independent Joint Investigation Team.”

Resolution 2166 called for a full, thorough and independent probe into the incident.

The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established in August 2014 and included Australia, Malaysia and Belgium – countries affected by the crash – as well as Ukraine.

In May 2018, the JIT determined that the missile system used to down the plane originated from a Russian brigade. At the time, Russia said that evidence did not exist to support the findings.

Trial in The Hague

The Netherlands moved to prosecute four people – three Russians and a Ukrainian - for bringing down flight MH17 and for the murder of all those on board.  They were tried in absentia as both the Russian and Ukrainian constitutions do not allow extradition.

Preliminary hearings began in March 2020 at the District Court in The Hague.  The trial concluded in November 2022 and three defendants were found guilty while the fourth was acquitted.

Since the crash, war in Ukraine has escalated following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. More than 11,000 people have been killed to date, though the actual number is likely to be higher.