United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated the call for responsibility on those accountable for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 destruction as he did before. This was a Boeing 777 flight that was shot down on July 17, 2014, while on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in the vicinity of the military conflict zone near eastern Ukraine’s Russian border controlled by Pro-Russian separatists.
There were no survivors among the 283 passengers and 15 crewmembers onboard who came from fifteen countries with one hundred and ninety-six of them being Dutch citizens. Guterres, through his spokesperson, called upon for solidarity with affected families.
By UN Security
By UN Security Council Resolution 2166 which stipulates thorough and independent investigation into the full details surrounding the tragedy MH17, he urged all states to ensure justice is served.
A joint investigative team led by Dutch specialists was formed in August 2014. That included representatives from Australia, Belgium, and Malaysia. By May 2018, this team reported that it was a missile system operated by a Russian brigade. That shot down an airplane; the claim was contested at that time by Russia.
The Netherlands initiated legal proceedings against one individual linked to Russia and Ukraine after investigating into this accident despite having laws prohibiting the extradition of their citizens outside their territories.
The initial hearing began in The Hague in March of 2020 and ended in November two years later resulting in three convictions and one acquittal. In this manner, international law illustrated difficulties related to accountability over cross-border crimes committed during armed conflicts.
The geopolitical fallout arising out of this incident has been immense. Consequently, these tensions escalated between Russia and Western States leading to increased sanctions as well as diplomatic tensions. Moreover, it also indicated how dangerous civilian aviation might be. If conducted above armed conflict areas globally besides raising concerns about international protocols regarding aviation safety.
Since then thousands
Since then thousands have died while millions more are now refugees as a result of serious escalation following MH17. This marked the beginning of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that had started with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support of the rebel forces fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The international community continues to call for justice since Guterres appealed. The United Nations and other international organizations have reiterated their commitment towards upholding international law. And bringing about justice for victims as well as their families.
Political obstacles and conducting investigations within an active conflict area are some hurdles faced in trying to establish accountability. The case of MH17 is a vivid reminder of the human costs associated with geo-political conflicts calling for immediate global cooperation to solve such situations.
Families have suffered
Families have suffered enormous sorrow yet sought legal processes together with worldwide support which could help them achieve closure. All over the world, there are memorials and tributes dedicated to the victims of MH17. Serving as signs of demands for justice and responsibility to prevent future accidents from happening.
Death tolls resulting from international crimes committed during wars or in other countries is an example that shows how complex. It has become to navigate through issues of international jurisdiction, accountability, and other related legal complexities. In this case, relevant parties strive to bring about justice while human rights remain at stake among them.
