MH17 investigation: Four charged with murder over downing of Malaysia Airlines plane
She fought for the families of 38 Australians who were affected by the MH17 attack. Now former Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has unleashed on Russia.
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Former Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has slammed Russia’s denial of its involvement in the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 downing that killed 298 people, including 38 Australians.
Ms Bishop’s comments come after investigators probing the disaster opened criminal proceedings against four men, including two high-ranking Russian military figures, who have been charged with murder.
The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has accused three Russians — Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov — and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko of involvement.
Russia is unlikely to extradite the men and the case will be heard in absentia.
Ms Bishop led Australia’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice following the 2014 incident.
“At no time did any Russian leader, whether it be their ambassador, their foreign minister or President Putin, reveal to me any information that would dispute the findings of the joint investigation team,” Ms Bishop told ABC Radio today.
“At no time has Russia ever officially released information that would contradict the findings of the joint investigation team.”
Despite fears the four men charged could avoid ever facing court if Russia refuses to allow their extradition, Ms Bishop said she was confident the international community backed the investigation.
She said prosecutors were “exploring every legal avenue to have those responsible brought to justice”.
Ms Bishop said it’s a “relief” to see those allegedly responsible for the downing of MH17 charged.
“I welcome this progress in the shooting down of MH17 with the naming of these four individuals to be prosecuted for their role in what was a despicable crime that killed 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australian residents and citizens,” she said.
“I think it will be a relief to the families who deserve answers as to how their loved ones died aboard that plane.”
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She also opened up about how MH17 became a personal mission to pursue justice for the families of the victims, including beyond politics.
“It became a cause that I was going to pursue to the very end,” Ms Bishop said.
“I was outraged that a passenger jet with 298 passengers and crew could be shot down on its way, eventually, to Australia.
“There were constituents of mine on board - the Maslin family and their grandad. I got to know many of the families that are still grieving to this day.
“It was such a despicable crime that I believe that Australia and other nations who were grieving over this crime owed it to the families to pursue justice. It’s something that I will continue to support however I can now that I’m not in politics.”
The four suspects are responsible for transporting the missile system used to down the flight, the Dutch-led investigative team said in a briefing in Utrecht on Wednesday.
There was a direct line of military command between the Ukrainian rebels and the Russian Federation, the investigators said.
But Russia slammed the findings, calling them “unfounded accusations”.
“Once again, absolutely unfounded accusations are being made against the Russian side, aimed at discrediting Russia in the eyes of the international community,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.
In the statement, Moscow said it had been ready to provide “all-round assistance to the investigation” from the first day, but argued it had been frozen out of the investigation.
The foreign ministry said information given by the Russian side had been ignored.
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The Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down over eastern Ukraine during its journey from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014.
Among the victims were 40 people who called Australia home.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has welcomed the move in charging the men as a “significant step”.
“The downing of MH17 was a despicable act and the Australian Government has not stopped in the pursuit of justice for the 298 victims, including 38 Australians,” she said in a statement.
“The Australian Government remains committed to holding the perpetrators to account. We have allocated $50.3 million over four years to support the Dutch prosecution and ensure that Australian families have meaningful access to the proceedings, including through translation services.
“Australia thanks the Netherlands for conducting these prosecutions on behalf of the international community. Australia has full confidence in the integrity of the process.
“While we cannot take away the grief of those who lost loved ones, we will continue to do everything possible to ensure justice prevails,” she said.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier said the probe will continue until all possible suspects have been identified.
Mr Crozier said investigators were still hunting for not only the crew of the Buk launcher that fired the missile but also the Russian government and military officials who allowed it to be sent to Ukraine.
“We will continue to investigate as new leads, as new opportunities appear we will follow those,” he said.
“Australia will be involved until there are no further opportunities for us to be involved. Through the investigation and the prosecution we will stay the course.” “One the key things for us is not to lose sight of why we are doing this and this is about those 298 people, this is about all those families that are affected by this.”
Earlier, the mother of one of the victims, spoke after being briefed by investigators.
Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, whose son Bryce and his girlfriend Daisy Oehlers were killed, expressed relief that five years after the plane was blown out of the sky above conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, someone was being held accountable.
She told reporters that the trial would start on March 9, 2020.
RUSSIA DENIES INVOLVEMENT
Prior to slamming the findings as “unfounded accusations”, Russia has long denied any involvement in the shooting down of MH17.
On Wednesday it complained of being excluded from the probe despite “proactively” trying to be involved.
“You know our attitude towards this investigation. Russia had no opportunity to take part in it even though it showed initiative from … the very first days of this tragedy,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Despite the naming of the suspects suggestions a dozen more will be revealed, the Russian Constitution bars extradition of Russian nationals for trials abroad and says that for crimes committed abroad Russians can only be tried in Russia.
The announcement follows trilateral talks earlier this year between Dutch, Australian and Russian authorities behind closed doors.
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal told news agency Interfax-Ukraine charges would be brought against those named before the Criminal Court of Schiphol in the Netherlands would start work on the case.
“They are only the top. Naturally, then, the number of people who are involved in this will be much larger than the four people who will be named.”
The JIT was formed and tasked to investigate within a month of the downing of the plane and has since claimed MH17 was hit by a Buk missile supplied by Russia’s 53rd anti-aircraft brigade in Kursk.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he doesn’t believe the country launched the missile.
The Ambassador of Russia to Australia, Grigory Logvinov, last year slammed the JIT for using “social networks and several non-governmental organisations.” during its investigations.
International investigation website Bellingcat has written extensively about the incident and was expected to release its own report “identifying more individuals involved” two hours before the JIT press conference.
The group, which has analysed open-source data regarding the attack, previously named a member of the Russian military intelligence agency as being involved.
The Australians killed included Sister Philomene Tiernan, who taught at the Catholic School of the Sacred Heart in Sydney, Victorian real estate agent Albert Rizk and his wife Maree and Sydney man Victor Oreshkin who was returning from a five-week European holiday.
The home countries of the others killed included New Zealand, Britain, The Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, Germany, Belgium, Canada and the Philippines.
Perth man Anthony Maslin and his partner Marite Norris — who lost their three children Mo, 12, Evie, 10, Otis, 8, and the children’s’ grandfather Nick in the attack — told ABC’s Australian Story “anger doesn’t help”.
Mr Maslin said: “I don’t feel anger towards the people who fired that rocket … I feel something much worse towards them which is pity”.
“Because they will have to go through the rest of their lives knowing they killed 298 people, including the most phenomenal man and three of the most beautiful children to ever walk the earth.”
Chloe.lyons@news.com.au