Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Monday 9 March 2020

MH17 relatives protest against

Russia with 298 empty chairs

THE HAGUE, Netherlands "But we are having a pro- and pro-Russia separatists
(AP) — The families of peo- test against the lack of co- continued to deny involve-
ple killed when a missile operation of the Russian ment, even after pros-
shot down Malaysia Air- state in the investigation of ecutors alleged that the
lines Flight 17 over eastern the downing of MH17. And Buk missile system which
Ukraine in 2014 set out 298 we want them to cooper- destroyed the passenger
white chairs outside the ate and stop obstructing plane was transported into
Russian Embassy on Sunday the investigations." Ukraine from the Russian
in a silent protest against In Moscow, Foreign Min- 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Bri- Rob Fredriksz, who lost his son Bryce and his girlfriend Daisy,
Moscow's lack of coopera- istry spokeswoman Maria gade's base in Kursk and places a sign next to 298 empty chairs, each chair for one of the
tion in the investigation into Zakharova accused investi- the launching system was 298 victims of the downed Malaysia Air flight MH17, placed in a
park opposite the Russian embassy in The Hague, Netherlands,
the downing of the passen- gators of presuming Russia's then returned to Russia. Sunday, March 8, 2020.
ger jet. guilt before the court hear- The team examined the Associated Press
The chairs — laid out in rows ing opens Monday and wreckage and body parts,
like seats in an airplane — launching a "media cam- questioned witnesses and in short supply over the last ney, Australia, with his wife
represented the victims paign" to support the case experts, studied radar and five and a half years," said Meryn to watch the trial.
who died when a Buk mis- and whitewash alleged satellite images and ana- Jon O'Brien, who flew to Their son, Jack, was among
sile fired from territory held gaps in the evidence. lyzed data and intercept- the Netherlands from Syd- those killed on MH17.q
by pro-Russia separatist U.S. Secretary of State Mike ed communications before
rebels shot down the Am- Pompeo noted: "All of those indicting the four suspects.
sterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur indicted are members of Investigators said last year
flight on July 17, 2014, killing Russia-led forces in east- there was "almost daily
everybody on board. ern Ukraine," and called telephone contact" be-
The families stood in silence on Moscow "to cease its tween the self-proclaimed
for two minutes after ar- continuing aggressive and leaders of the pro-Russia
ranging the chairs and signs destabilizing activities in rebel Donetsk People's Re-
including one that read: Ukraine." public "and their contacts
"Impunity = unacceptable! Families are convinced Rus- in the Russian Federation"
Someone knows what hap- sia knows — and is blocking using secure phones pro-
pened ... Justice for MH17." — the truth. vided by the Russian secu-
The protest came on the "What we're doing here rity service."
eve of a Dutch trial for today, this is truly us mak- The five nations that make
three Russians and a Ukrai- ing a silent statement to up the international team
nian charged with murders somebody who may have — Australia, Belgium, Ma-
for their alleged roles in the the answers," said Lucas laysia, Ukraine and the
missile strike. Schansman, whose neph- Netherlands — signed a
Russia denies involvement ew Quinn — a joint Dutch- deal Sunday extending
and has dismissed the inter- American citizen — was their cooperation.
national investigation that among the dead. "The prolongation ensures
led to the four suspects The Joint Investigation the investigation into the
being charged, saying it Team last year named four downing of MH17 contin-
is prejudiced against Mos- suspects: Russians Igor Gir- ues unabated and in paral-
cow. kin, Sergey Dubinskiy and lel with the trial of the four
Relatives accuse Russian Oleg Pulatov as well as suspects," Dutch prosecu-
authorities of seeking to Ukrainian Leonid Kharchen- tors said in a statement.
hide the facts about exact- ko. None of them is expect- Families are hoping the
ly what happened. ed to attend the start of the trial, expected to last for
Piet Ploeg, who lost his trial Monday in a courtroom more than a year, will shed
brother, Alex, his sister-in- near Schiphol, the Amster- definitive light on exactly
law and his nephew, said dam airport from which the what happened.
families weren't accusing doomed flight took off. "The really important thing
Russia of downing the Boe- Neither Russia nor Ukraine is that the truth comes out,
ing 777. extradites its citizens. Russia because the truth has been