Russia is guilty of shooting down flight MH17 and has thereby violated international agreements on civil aviation, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO Council) has ruled. The organization made this decision in a case brought by the Netherlands and Australia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

In the coming weeks, the council will consider what Russia must do to ensure legal redress. The Netherlands and Australia have requested that the council impose on Russia to enter into negotiations with the countries on this matter, under the guidance of ICAO.

ICAO is part of the United Nations. The 193 affiliated countries have signed the Chicago Convention, which states that these states may not use weapons against aircraft in civil aviation. According to the ICAO Council, Russia has violated this treaty. The ICAO Council reached this conclusion on Monday after a vote among its members.

Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs) believes the decision is good news for the relatives and victims of flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine on 17 July 2014. "The decision cannot take away their grief and suffering, but it is an important step towards finding the truth, justice and accountability for all victims of flight MH17 and their relatives," said the NSC minister.

The Malaysia Airlines plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when pro-Russian separatists shot it down. All aboard were killed, among them 196 Dutch nationals.

In 2022, the court in The Hague sentenced three suspects to life imprisonment for their involvement in shooting down the flight. It concerns rebel leader Igor Girkin, his right-hand man Sergei Dubinski and garrison commander Leonid Khartsjenko. A fourth suspect was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The convicted men were not extradited by Russia and therefore did not serve their sentences.

The MH17 Air Disaster Foundation speaks of an "incredibly good result", according to chairman Piet Ploeg. He calls it "incredibly important" that a UN organization now also judges that Russia is responsible. Ploeg expects a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in the coming months. These rulings give relatives the feeling that "they are not alone", according to Ploeg.

The MH17 Truth Finding Working Group, a group of and for relatives that is committed to fully revealing the facts that led to the doning of the flight, is "delighted" with the ruling. "This is a strong signal to Russia to take responsibility for its actions. This is exactly what the working group has been asking of Russia for years," the organization states, which now sees itself supported "by an important UN body."

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* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)