Investigation into Malaysia Airlines flight crash even with “indication” of Putin’s involvement

International prosecutors said on Wednesday they had found “strong evidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the use in Ukraine of a Russian missile system that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in 2014. .

However, they said the evidence of Putin and other Russian officials’ involvement was not concrete enough to lead to a criminal conviction and that they would close the investigation without further prosecution.

Russia has denied any involvement in the downing of the civilian plane, which killed 298 passengers and crew.

“The investigation has now reached its limit,” prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer told a news conference in The Hague. “The findings are insufficient for the trial of new suspects”, she pointed out.

In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader of murder for helping to organize the Russian BUK missile system used to shoot down the plane. The three men, who were tried in absentia, remain at large.

At the time the plane was shot down, Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s eastern province of Donetsk.

Although Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, the government has denied military involvement in the fighting in Donetsk.

Source: CNN Brasil

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