The Boeing 777 aircraft 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 on July 17, 2014, in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels.
All 283 passengers and 15 crew members, representing 16 countries, were killed. The passengers included 196 Dutch nationals, according to the Dutch government.
Appeal from UN chief
“On the 10th anniversary of the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, the Secretary-General remembers 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 reiterates his call on all States to cooperate fully in accordance with Security Council resolution 2166 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 investigation into the incident.
The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established in August 2014 and consisted of Australia, Malaysia and Belgium – countries affected by the crash – and Ukraine.
In May 2018, the JIT established that the missile system used to shoot down the aircraft came from a Russian brigade. At the timeRussia said there was no evidence to support the findings.
Trial in The Hague
The Netherlands has prosecuted four people – three Russians and one Ukrainian – for the downing of flight MH17 and the murder of all passengers. They were tried in absentia, as the Russian and Ukrainian constitutions do not allow extradition.
Preliminary hearings began in March 2020 at the court in The Hague. The trial ended in November 2022, with three suspects found guilty and the fourth acquitted.
Since the crash, the war in Ukraine has escalated following the start of a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. More than 11,000 people have been killed so far, but the true toll is likely higher.
