‘MH17 trial could be conducted either in Malaysia or ICJ’

August 29, 2014 01:42 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 06:16 pm IST - Kuala Lumpur

In this July 22, 2014 photo, a pro-Russian rebel looks at the MH17 wreckage at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, near the village of Hrabove, eastern Ukraine.

In this July 22, 2014 photo, a pro-Russian rebel looks at the MH17 wreckage at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, near the village of Hrabove, eastern Ukraine.

The trial of those responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July over Ukraine could be conducted either here or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, a top minister has said.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that the Attorney-General’s Chambers is in the midst of determining the best way to obtain justice over the downing of the plane.

“We are now a member of the international criminal investigation committee which should help us get to the bottom of this. (We have good) diplomatic relations with the relevant stakeholders such as the Netherlands and Ukraine,” he said.

Mr. Hishammuddin said the Russian Ambassador to Malaysia had assured him about Moscow’s commitment to a fair and transparent investigation.

“They (Russia) too, want closure and to find the culprit of the MH17 shooting. This confirmation can help balance the geopolitical turmoil that is currently ongoing between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.

All 298 people on board were killed in the accident.

Mr. Hishammuddin said the missile used to target flight MH17 on July 17 over rebel held eastern Ukraine was without a doubt a surface-to-air BUK missile, and not an air-to-air missile as suggested by certain quarters.

“But this technology is also privy to the Ukrainians, so it’s best not to point fingers now. At this point of time, black box recordings and shrapnel from the missile are being scrutinised,” he added.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.