Australia and the Netherlands started legal proceedings against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organization over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 eight years ago, according to Bloomberg.
The move comes after Russia “unilaterally” ended negotiations with the two countries and comes as well as the national prosecution of four suspects in the crash, according to the Dutch government. Both Australia and the Netherlands have maintained since May 2018 that Russia is responsible under international law for the causing the crash.
“The cabinet will continue to do everything it can to hold Russia accountable for the downing of flight MH17 and the maintenance of the international legal order,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, said Monday.
“The death of 298 civilians, including 196 Dutch, cannot and must not remain without consequences,” added Hoekstra.
The Dutch government has held Russia liable for the incident since an international investigation found that Russia was responsible for the deployment of the missile installation that was used in 2014.
“Russia was responsible under international law for the downing of the flight, and action in the United Nations aviation council was a step forward in the fight for justice for 298 victims, including 38 Australians,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement on Monday, Reuters reported.
Australia said the incident was a clear breach of a convention to protect civilian aircraft from weapons fire.
Dutch government stated that the latest action against Russia is independent of current developments in Ukraine.
MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014 when it was hit over rebel-held eastern Ukraine by what international investigators and prosecutors say was a Russian-made surface-to-air missile.
Moscow has always denied involvement and has promoted a range of alternative theories, which international investigators have rejected as unsupported by evidence.
A verdict in the murder trial, involving three Russians and a Ukrainian who remain at large, is expected later this year. None of the defendants have attended the Dutch court.
Australia and the Netherlands would rely on evidence MH17 was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile system transported from Russia to an area of eastern Ukraine under the control of Russian-backed separatists, and it was accompanied by a Russian military crew, the statement said.