Downing of flight MH17: ICAO asks to order Russia to negotiate compensation
Wreckage of the Boeing 777 flight MH17 shot down in July 2014 (Photo: nos.nl/photo/ANP)
The Netherlands and Australia have urged the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to compel Russia, which was found guilty of downing flight MH17 in 2014, to negotiate compensation for the damages caused, according to the Dutch government.
It is noted that the ICAO Council is set to consider the issue in the coming weeks – what form of compensation is appropriate.
"In that context the Netherlands and Australia are requesting that the ICAO Council order the Russian Federation to enter into negotiations with the Netherlands and Australia, and that the Council facilitate this process," the statement reads.
The official Amsterdam emphasizes the importance of this final call, as it is aimed at ensuring that negotiations are conducted in good faith and within specific timeframes, and that they yield real results.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), consisting of 193 member states.
Russia's downing of flight MH17
In July 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 passenger plane, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over the part of the Donetsk region controlled by Russian forces.
There were 298 people on board, all of whom perished. Most of the victims were citizens of the Netherlands. Citizens of Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the UK, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, and New Zealand also died.
In November 2022, an international investigation confirmed that flight MH17 was shot down by a missile from a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile system, which belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. The missile was launched from the occupied village of Pervomaiske, controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic militants, and the launcher was quickly returned to Russia after firing, according to the Hague court. The judges also pointed out that at that time, Russia controlled the militants of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Additionally, in November 2022, the Hague District Court issued a verdict in the case of the downed MH17 flight. Three individuals involved in the case - Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy, and Leonid Kharchenko - were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
On May 12, the ICAO Council concluded that Russia is responsible for shooting down flight MH17, thus violating the Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention.
For more information about the downing of the passenger Boeing over Donbas in July 2014, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
