The Netherlands brings Russia to court over the downing of MH17

The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights over the downing nearly six years ago of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine. The Netherlands, home to roughly two-thirds of the victims, made the move to provide “maximum support” to individual cases brought to the European court by victims’ relatives, the country’s foreign minister, Stef Blok, wrote in a letter to the Dutch Parliament released Friday. All 298 people on the flight were killed after a Buk surface-to-air missile from territory controlled by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels downed the plane on July 17, 2014, when it was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Achieving justice for 298 victims of the downing of Flight MH17 is and will remain the government’s highest priority,” Blok said. “By taking this step today — bringing a case before the European Court of Human Rights and thus supporting the applications of the next of kin as much as we can — we are moving closer to this goal.” Taking Russia to court enables the Netherlands to help the families of victims who are also seeking legal redress, by providing at least some of the evidence they need to prove their claims, Blok said. “Many relatives have begun procedures and have now entered a phase where they need evidence. We have that evidence and providing it to the court by starting this procedure is the best way to help them,” he said.<br/>