Australia joins with other members of the MH17 Joint Investigation Team (JIT) – Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine – in announcing its full support for a Dutch national prosecution to pursue those responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 on 17 July 2014 over Eastern Ukraine.
The Australian Government has full confidence in the quality, impartiality and integrity of the Dutch legal system.
We applaud the Netherlands for showing leadership through the JIT process and committing to conduct the prosecutions on behalf of the wider international community.
The JIT’s decision to support a Dutch national prosecution will ensure that results from the investigation are taken into account and that justice for the victims and their families, including the 38 people who called Australia home, is delivered.
We remind the international community of UNSC Resolution 2166, which demands that those responsible for downing MH17 are held to account, and that all States cooperate fully with efforts to achieve accountability.
Ahead of the third anniversary, we urge other States to join us in pursuing justice for the 298 passengers and crew who lost their lives in the downing of MH17.
While we cannot take away the grief of those who lost their loved ones because of this atrocious act, we are committed to holding the perpetrators to account and achieving justice for all the victims.