Dutch court sentences three to life in prison for 2014 downing of MH17 over Ukraine - Reuters

AMSTERDAM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Dutch judges convicted 2 Russian men and a Ukrainian antheral successful absentia of execution for their relation successful the shooting down of Flight MH17 implicit Ukraine successful 2014 with the nonaccomplishment of 298 passengers and crew, and handed them beingness sentences.

Ukraine welcomed the ruling, which volition person implications for different tribunal cases Kyiv has filed against Russia, while Moscow called the ruling "scandalous" and said it would not extradite its citizens.

Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam and was bound for Kuala Lumpur erstwhile it was changeable down implicit eastbound Ukraine connected July 17, 2014, arsenic warring raged betwixt pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of this year's conflict.

The ruling came arsenic a alleviation to victims' household members, much than 200 of whom attended the tribunal successful person, wiping distant tears arsenic the judgement was read.

"Only the astir terrible punishment is fitting to retaliate for what the suspects person done, which has caused truthful overmuch suffering to truthful galore victims and truthful galore surviving relatives," Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said.

The 3 men convicted were erstwhile Russian quality agents Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy, and Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian separatist leader.

The 3 were each recovered to person helped to put the transport into Ukraine of the Russian subject BUK rocket strategy that was utilized to sprout down the plane, though they were not the ones that physically pulled the trigger.

They are fugitives and believed to beryllium successful Russia. A 4th erstwhile suspect, Russian Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted connected each charges.

The incidental successful 2014 near the plane's wreckage and victims' remains scattered crossed fields of maize and sunflowers.

Russia invaded Ukraine successful February and claims to person annexed the Donetsk state wherever the level was changeable down.

"The families of victims wanted the information and they wanted justness to beryllium done and those liable to beryllium punished and that is what happened. I americium beauteous satisfied," Piet Ploeg, who heads a instauration representing victims, told Reuters. Ploeg's brother, his brother's woman and his nephew died connected MH17.

Meryn O'Brien of Australia, who mislaid her 25-year aged lad Jack, said she felt relieved. "Everyone was relieved the process has travel to an end, and it is precise fair, and it has been meticulous."

"There's nary celebration," said Jordan Withers of Britain, whose uncle Glenn Thomas died. "Nothing is going to bring immoderate of the victims back." They came from 10 antithetic countries.

The judgement included a 16 cardinal euro damages award.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the archetypal sentences handed down implicit MH17 arsenic an "important decision" by the tribunal successful The Hague.

"But it is indispensable that those who ordered it besides extremity up successful the dock due to the fact that the feeling of impunity leads to caller crimes," helium wrote connected Twitter. "We person to dispel this illusion. Punishment for each Russian atrocities - some past and present - volition beryllium inevitable."

The ruling recovered that Russia had "overall control" implicit the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic successful Eastern Ukraine from mid May 2014.

"This is groundbreaking," said Marieke de Hoon, adjunct prof of planetary instrumentality astatine Amsterdam University. The ruling was "authoritative" and would apt boost Ukraine's different planetary cases against Russia relating to the 2014 conflict.

'NO REASONABLE DOUBT'

Judge Steenhuis said determination was ample grounds from eyewitness grounds and photographs which tracked the rocket system's movements into and backmost retired of Ukraine to Russia.

"There is nary tenable doubt" that MH17 was changeable down by a Russian rocket system, Steenhuis said.

Moscow denies immoderate engagement oregon work for MH17's downing and successful 2014 it besides denied immoderate beingness successful Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian overseas ministry said "throughout the proceedings the tribunal was nether unprecedented unit from Dutch politicians, prosecutors and the media to enforce a politically motivated outcome".

"We profoundly regret that the District Court successful The Hague disregarded the principles of impartial justness successful favour of the existent governmental situation, frankincense causing a superior reputational stroke to the full judicial strategy successful the Netherlands," it added.

Prosecutors had charged the 4 men with shooting down an airplane and with execution successful a proceedings held nether Dutch law, arsenic much than fractional of the victims were Dutch. Phone telephone intercepts that formed a cardinal portion of the grounds suggested the men believed they were targeting a Ukrainian combatant jet.

Steenhuis said that, portion that counted for thing successful presumption of lessening the severity of their transgression responsibility, they inactive had a murderous intent and the consequences of their actions were huge.

Of the suspects, lone Pulatov had pleaded not blameworthy via lawyers helium hired to correspond him. The others were tried successful absentia and nary attended the trial.

The constabulary probe was led by the Netherlands, with information from Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia and Belgium.

Thursday's ruling is not the last connection connected holding radical accountable for MH17, Dutch and Australian authorities said.

Andy Kraag, the caput of the constabulary investigation, said probe was continuing into imaginable suspects higher successful the concatenation of command. Investigators are besides looking astatine the unit of the rocket strategy which launched the fatal rocket.

The Dutch and Australian governments, which clasp Russia responsible, person started a proceeding against the Russian Federation astatine the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Reporting by Toby Sterling, Stephanie van den Berg and Bart Meijer; Editing by Jon Boyle, Alex Richardson, Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson

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