Defense lawyers seek more investigations into MH17 downing

Defense lawyers for a Russian charged with involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 cast doubt Monday on prosecutors' assertions that the passenger jet was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile. The comments came as Dutch defense lawyers for Oleg Pulatov began listing their requests for further investigations in the international probe into the July 17, 2014, downing of MH17. Defense lawyer Boudewijn van Eijck pointed out to judges that prosecutors were unable to seal off or carry out forensic investigations at the crash scene, which was in a region controlled by pro-Russia rebels fighting against Ukraine’s government. “For that reason it can’t be ruled out that evidence went missing, was manipulated or even was augmented,” Van Eijck said. Defense lawyers for a Russian charged with involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 cast doubt Monday on prosecutors' assertions that the passenger jet was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile. The comments came as Dutch defense lawyers for Oleg Pulatov began listing their requests for further investigations in the international probe into the July 17, 2014, downing of MH17. Defense lawyer Boudewijn van Eijck pointed out to judges that prosecutors were unable to seal off or carry out forensic investigations at the crash scene, which was in a region controlled by pro-Russia rebels fighting against Ukraine’s government.<br/>