Dutch ministry weighs options for MH17 prosecution

Various alternatives remain under consideration for pursuing a prosecution of those accused of bringing down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine 2 years ago. While a decision has not been made, Dutch security and justice minister Ard van der Steur has written to the lower house of the country’s parliament outlining 2 particular options. The assessment follows last year’s failure to secure UN approval for an international criminal tribunal after a veto by Russia’s representative on the UN Security Council. Van der Steur says one option is to focus on an international tribunal, in spite of the UN failure, while another is to consider a national prosecution in co-operation with one of the 5 states in the MH17 joint investigation team. The ministry says both options are “complex” and involve legal hurdles. <br/>