The hearing will take place on Wednesday 25 January from 14:30 pm at the ECtHR in Strasbourg and is open to the public.
On 25 January 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will determine whether it will substantively proceed with the Dutch complaint against Russia about the downing of flight MH17. The decision will be made at a hearing in Strasbourg. On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed. Investigations showed that the plane was shot down by a BUK missile. The Netherlands is doing everything it can to bring the suspects to justice. The Netherlands is conducting criminal investigations together with Belgium, Malaysia, Australia and Ukraine. In May 2018, the Netherlands and Australia also held Russia liable for its part in the downing of the aircraft.
European Court and flight MH17
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is there to hold states accountable for human rights violations. In 2020, the Netherlands filed a complaint with the ECtHR against Russia about Russia's role in the downing of flight MH17. All 298 people on board were killed, including 196 Dutch people. The Netherlands states that Russia played an important role in the downing of flight MH17. The Netherlands also believes that Russia has not conducted enough investigations and has not cooperated sufficiently with Dutch requests for criminal investigations. According to the Netherlands, this, and the fact that Russia continues to deny any involvement in the downing of flight MH17, has caused additional suffering for the relatives.
justice
In its decision on January 25, 2023, the ECtHR will determine whether the Dutch complaint against Russia is admissible, in other words: whether the ECtHR will handle the case and can deal with it substantively. This is an important step in achieving truth, justice and accountability for all victims and their families. The decision to declare the Dutch complaint admissible revolves around a judgment on the timeliness of filing, the exhaustion of domestic remedies and Russia's role in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and in the downing of flight MH17. This would be the first time that an international court has ruled on this. The hearing will take place on Wednesday 25 January from 14:30 pm at the ECtHR in Strasbourg and is open to the public. Afterwards, a recording of the session is also available online placed.
