Dutch prosecutors demanded the sentence of life imprisonment on three Russians and a Ukrainian on Wednesday (December 22) for shooting down a passenger plane over Ukraine in 2014 and killing 298 people.
They said that these fugitive defendants helped provide a missile system that pro-Russian separatists used to launch rockets on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
“We ask the suspects (Igor) Gilkin, (Sergey) Dubinsky, (Oleg) Platov and (Leonid) Kharchenko to jointly shoot down one aircraft. The 298 people on board were convicted of death and murder on the plane and sentenced to life imprisonment,” said prosecutor Manon Ridderbeks.
The attack killed everyone on the ship, most of them Dutch nationals. The Dutch government asks Russia to be responsible. The Moscow authorities denied involvement.
After years of collecting evidence, an international investigation team concluded in May 2018 that the launcher used to shoot down the plane en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur belonged to Russia’s 53rd Air Defense Missile Brigade.
Prosecutors said on Wednesday that there was evidence that these people were connected to insurgents supported by Russia in eastern Ukraine and played a different but important role in the incident that led to the crash.
The Russians Platov, Dubinsky and Gilkin, and the Ukrainian Kharchenko all denied participating in video messages or media interviews in court.
Prosecutors said based on satellite images, social media posts and intercepted phone calls that the four men worked together to transport the Buk missile system from Russia to eastern Ukraine to strengthen separatists.
In a recording played to the court earlier this week, people identified as suspects by the prosecution can be heard discussing the transfer of “our Buk” to the place where the MH17 flight was attacked.
Then, when they shot down what they thought was a Ukrainian military aircraft, they celebrated the success of “Our Children”.
It turns out that the target is MH17.
The prosecutor argued that, legally speaking, their intention to shoot military aircraft is no different.
Ridderbeks said: “Even if the suspects do not intend to have consequences for their actions, these consequences will still affect their sentencing.”
Their trial began 20 months ago. Only Platov sent a lawyer to represent him. The others did not cooperate with the court and are being tried in absentia.
Platov’s lawyers are expected to make closing submissions in March and deliver a verdict by the end of 2022.
