The Foreign Secretary has called on Russia to cooperate fully with investigators following the announcement by the MH17 Joint Investigation Team and the Dutch National Prosecutor that they will charge four suspects with the murder of 298 people and causing the crash of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, an area controlled at the time by Russian-backed separatists.
The UK stands alongside international partners in condemning the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines plane as it flew a commercial route between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014. This was a shocking attack on the rules based international system which keeps our societies safe.
In addition to the charges announced today, the UK continues to support Australia and the Netherlands in their call on the Russian Federation to accept state responsibility for the downing of MH17.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:
The shooting down of MH17 nearly 5 years ago and the tragic deaths of the 298 people on board, including 10 British people, was a horrific crime. The family and friends of those who died deserve justice. Today marks a significant step towards ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
The UK offers its support to the prosecution process and has complete confidence in both the Joint Investigation Team and the Dutch criminal justice system. I thank the Joint Investigation Team for their painstaking work to deliver justice for all the victims from 17 different countries who lost their lives that day.
The Russian Federation must now cooperate fully with the prosecution and provide any assistance it requests in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2166. The charges brought against these individuals today show that the international community stands together against the impunity of those responsible for the despicable murder of 298 innocent people.
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