The EU “deeply regrets” the Russian decision at the UN to veto the creation of a special tribunal to try the people responsible for the crash of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing after it was shot down in Ukranian airspace a year ago, said a spokeswoman for the Commission on Thursday. “In spite of this setback, we must continue to work to ensure that the people directly or indirectly responsible for shooting down the MH17 flight are brought to justice,” said the spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, urging “all parties concerned to cooperate fully with the investigation and criminal proceedings.”
At a meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Russia vetoed a resolution that would have created a special court to bring to justice those responsible for the crash of flight MH17 on July 17th, 2014 in eastern Ukraine, in which 298 people died, including 196 Dutch, 39 Australians and 6 Belgians. “This resolution would have enabled a binding and credible authority to be set up to prosecute the perpetrators of this terrible tragedy,” said Ms Kocijancic during a press briefing. “The friends and families of the passengers aboard deserve justice,” she added.
Eleven countries voted in favour of the resolution which was brought to the table by Malaysia and there were three abstentions (China, Venezuela, Angola). The five countries that led the investigation into the crash (Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia, Ukraine, Belgium) have been calling for this independent international tribunal to be voted.
London, Washington and Paris support the resolution in particular. They accuse the pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane.
Russia holds the Ukrainian army responsible.
(Source: Belga)
