UN body finds Russia responsible for downing of flight MH17
Russia was responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight, MH17, over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, the United Nations aviation body has ruled.
"The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO Council) has concluded Monday that the Russian Federation is responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 and has thus violated the Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention," the Government of the Netherlands said in a statement, News.Az reports.
"The ICAO Council rendered this decision in a case initiated by the Netherlands and Australia in 2022 against the Russian Federation over the downing of Flight MH17 on 17 July 2014. The Council has found in favour of the Netherlands and Australia," the statement said.
In the coming weeks, the ICAO Council will consider what form of reparation is in order.
"In that context the Netherlands and Australia are requesting that the ICAO Council order the Russian Federation to enter into negotiations with the Netherlands and Australia, and that the Council facilitate this process. The latter is important in order to ensure that the negotiations are conducted in good faith and according to specific timelines, and that they will yield actual results," it noted.
ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations with 193 member states. Under the Chicago Convention these states may not use weapons against civil aircraft in flight. It is for the ICAO Council to decide whether countries have violated the Convention.
The decision was reached on Monday by a vote among the members of the ICAO Council. A large majority of the Council members voted in favour of the Netherlands’ and Australia’s position.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck down over the Donbas region of Ukraine, during a conflict between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces.
The majority of passengers and crew, 196 people, were from the Netherlands.
There were also 38 people from Australia, 10 British citizens, as well as Belgian and Malaysian nationals on board.
The case to the UN was brought in 2022 by the Australian and Dutch governments, who have both welcomed the ICAO's ruling.
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