The United Nations’ aviation council on Monday, ruled that Russia was responsible for downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine, which killed all of the nearly 300 people on board in 2014. This number included 196 Dutch citizens and 28 Australian citizens, their governments said in separate statements.
The case was launched in 2022 by Australia and the Netherlands.
What did the UN agency say about the downing of MH17?
The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said the claims brought were “well founded in fact and in law.”
“The Russian Federation failed to uphold its obligations under international air law in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17,” the agency said in a statement.
The council does not hold any regulatory powers but still sets global aviation standards which are widely followed by its member states. The ICAO said Monday’s ruling was the first time in its history that it has weighed in on a dispute between two member states.
“The decision is an important step towards establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability for all victims of Flight MH17, and their families and loved ones,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a statement.
“This decision also sends a clear message to the international community: states cannot violate international law with impunity.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also welcomed the decision. “We call upon Russia to finally face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence and make reparations for its egregious conduct, as required under international law,” she said.
The Netherlands and Australia want the ICAO Council to order Russia to enter into talks on possible reparations, Veldkamp said.
What happened to the Flight MH17?
Flight MH17 of the Malaysian Airlines departed from Amsterdam fro Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014 before being shot down over eastern Ukraine. This was at a time when fighting raged between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.
The plane was hit by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile.
All 298 passengers and crew who were on board were killed. Two-thirds were Dutch, with another 38 Australians and 30 Malaysians.
Eight years after the incident, a Dutch court convicted two Russian men and a Ukrainian man, in absentia, of murder for their role in the attack. Moscow has refused to extradite its citizens, calling the ruling “scandalous.”