"We will not abandon" push for MH17 justice, says AG

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has reiterated Australia’s commitment to justice for MH17 as the tenth anniversary of its downing approaches. In a speech to Parliament, the Attorney-General spoke of the “shock” when Australians learned on the morning of 18 July 2014 that the aircraft had been shot down over eastern Ukraine, and said memorial services were planned both in Amsterdam and Canberra. The plane had been on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when contact was lost around 50 kilometres from the Ukrainian border with Russia on 17 July 2014, local time. All 283 passengers and 15 crew, including 38 Australians, were killed in the attack, with some en route to an AIDS conference in Melbourne at the time. “I will represent the Australian Government at an event to mark that very sad anniversary at the MH17 memorial in Amsterdam, alongside friends and partners from the Netherlands and many other countries touched by this tragedy. And, most importantly, alongside the loved ones of those who were lost on Flight MH17,” said Dreyfus. “Here in Australia, a memorial service will be held at Parliament House as an opportunity to come together to honour the lives lost and to stand with their families and loved ones. It will be a very sombre day. It will be a moment to pause and remember those whose lives were tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. It will be a moment to commit ourselves to continue to seek accountability for those responsible for this despicable crime.”<br/>