MH17: Son of Aussie victims speaks out after MH17 inquiry suspended

An Australian whose parents were killed in the MH17 disaster has a message for terrorists after an inquiry found Vladimir Putin likely approved the missile.

An Australian whose parents were killed in the MH17 disaster has a message for terrorists has spoken out after an inquiry found Russian President Vladimir Putin likely approved the missile.

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blasted Mr Putin’s “authoritarian regime” after the suspension of the investigation into who was responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines plane.

There are “strong indications” Mr Putin personally approved the decision to supply the missile system used by rebels to shoot down MH17 over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on-board, including 38 Australians, an international probe has found.

“We will continue to pursue these issues with every avenue of our disposal,” Mr Albanese said.

“This is a guy who runs an authoritarian regime, that does not care about human rights, that does not care about devastation of communities whether it be in Ukraine, whether the oppression of his own citizens or whether it be at outside of Russia of which we have seen a number.”

Queenslander Paul Guard lost his parents, highly respected Toowoomba medical professionals Jill and Roger, in the disaster.

He told Sky News he was not surprised that there was Russian involvement.

“I think it’s surprising that it did go into that high level, within the Russian government, all the way back in 2014.

“But then again, it’s not surprising that Russia is deeply involved, and has been deeply involved there because we’ve seen over the last 12 months how nefarious their actions can be in meddling in the affairs of their neighbouring country.”

Mr Guard said it had been a “long road” for the families of MH17 victims and that they were grateful to the investigation team for the time and effort they had put in to establishing the facts.

Paul Guard lost his parents in the MH17 disaster. Picture: Sky News/Supplied

“I’m sure there are some families that are still disappointed,” he told Sky News.

“Personally, I’ve always put the blame of the loss of my parents’ lives on the war itself.

“I would prefer that the focus be on trying to resolve that conflict. Having said that, I think the trial was very useful for establishing all the facts of what happened and secondly, providing some disincentive or deterrent for other people who might think of getting involved in this sort of war, or doing this sort of heinous act.”

The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit over separatist-held eastern Ukraine by what investigators said was a missile supplied by Moscow.

Investigators said there was evidence that Mr Putin had personally approved the transfer of the missile to pro-Russian separatists during fighting in eastern Ukraine, citing intercepted phone calls.

Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight on July 17, 2014, and refused to co-operate with the international investigation.

But the eight-and-a-half year inquiry into the shooting down of the plane will now be suspended because “all leads have been exhausted”.

The fate of the investigation comes three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel from the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for their roles in shooting down the Boeing 777. One Russian was acquitted. None of the suspects appeared for the trial and it is unclear if the three who were found guilty of multiple murders in their absence will ever serve their sentences.

In addition to the involvement of the DPR, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) also investigated the crew of the Buk-TELAR and those responsible for supplying this Russian weapon system that downed MH17.

But on Wednesday, Deputy chief prosecutor and leader of the MH17 team, Digna van Boetzelaer, told journalists at The Hague that “the investigation has now reached its limit.” She said that there was not concrete enough evidence to lead to a criminal conviction over Mr Putin’s and other Russian officials’ alleged involvement in the shooting down of the plane.

“There are strong indications that in Russia, the president made the decision to provide the BUK-TELAR to the separatists (but) … the findings are insufficient for the prosecution of new suspects,” Ms van Boetzelaer said.

The MH17 crash site near the Grabove village in eastern Ukraine. Picture: Menahem Kahana / AFP.

“Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached.”

Intercepted phone calls between leaders of the breakaway region and “high-ranking Russian government officials held in the summer of 2014’’ were described by prosecutors at The Hague on Wednesday. The intercepts suggested Mr Putin had to approve the supply of weapons to separatists.

It was also noted that Mr Putin, as head of state, would have immunity from prosecution in the Netherlands.

Presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis views the reconstructed wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at the Gilze-Rijen military airbase, southern Netherlands in 2021. Picture: Sem van der Wal / ANP / AFP.

The Buk missile system came from the Russian military’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in the city of Kursk, investigators found. But they could not trace the specific soldiers who fired the weapon at flight MH17.

Ms Van Boetzelaer said the team had investigated the crew who downed the plane, with their probe leading to three officers of the 53rd brigade of the Russian army being identified.

“Their involvement in the shooting down of MH17 has not been confirmed by other sources. Therefore, the JIT is not disclosing their names,” she continued.

“The Russian authorities are not answering questions about the crew, as they say there was no Russian BUK-TELAR present in eastern Ukraine.

“At the present time the findings are insufficient for the crucial prosecution of new suspects.”

The MH-17 Joint Investigation Team (JIT) gives a press conference on the results of the ongoing investigation into other parties involved in the downing of flight MH17 at EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation HQ in The Hague on February 8, 2023. Picture: Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP.

Ms Van Boetzelaer said the joint task-force established to collate information for criminal prosecutions after the plane’s destruction – from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Ukraine and Malaysia – was being suspended due to a lack of evidence.

“Are we disappointed? No, because we think we came further than we had ever thought in 2014. Would we have liked to come further? Of course, yes,” said Andy Kraag of the Dutch police.

The team informed relatives of those killed in the downing of MH17 of their findings before making them public.

“There was disappointment because … they wanted to know why MH17 was shot down,” Kraag said.

“We’re really clear on what has happened, but the answer to the question why MH17 was shot down still remains in Russia.”

– With AFP

Originally published as MH17: Son of Aussie victims speaks out after MH17 inquiry suspended