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Flight #MH17 - Trial to start of four men accused of murdering 298 over #Ukraine

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A view of the courtroom inside the Schiphol Judicial Complex (SJC) in Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands, 04 March 2020Three judges (with two others in reserve) will preside over the high-security trial, which could go on for more than three years

Four men go on trial in the Netherlands today (9 March), in the first criminal case over the murder of 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.

The Boeing 777 went down amid a conflict in eastern Ukraine, after Russian-backed rebels seized the area.

Investigators say they have proof the Buk missile system that shot it down came from a military base in Russia.

The four suspects are unlikely to take part in the trial.

Three of the men are Russian and one is from eastern Ukraine. Neither country extradites its citizens but one of the Russians will have a defence team in the courtroom and the court says it is also prepared to accept testimony from them by video link.

Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in the deadly attack on 17 July 2014. Citizens of 10 different countries died on flight MH17.

The roar of planes is audible. Schiphol's high security justice complex is right next door to the runway where flight MH17 took off. But no-one is expecting any of the four suspects to fly in to face justice.

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This trial is the culmination of the most complex criminal investigation in Dutch history.

Two thirds of the victims were Dutch; the Netherlands took the lead in the investigation and the trial will be held within the Dutch legal system.

Two weeks have been allocated for the start, which will cover mostly procedural aspects and establish whether indeed the trials will be conducted in absentia, without the accused.

Victims' relatives will have a chance to tell the court how their lives have been affected and what they see as the most appropriate punishment.

Little is known about who will testify before the court's three judges.

Unconfirmed Dutch reports say there are 13 witnesses in the case whose identities will remain secret, but the judges may decide that anyone who has already given evidence to prosecutors may not need to appear in person.

An investigator inspects the wreckage of flight MH17An investigator inspects the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

The court will be able to hear anonymous testimony if necessary, in a trial that could take more than three years.

  • Igor Girkin, also known as Strelkov. He is a former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service, given the title of minister of defence in the rebel-held eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, prosecutors say
  • Sergei Dubinsky, known as Khmury. He was employed by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, according to investigators. They say he was a deputy of Mr Girkin and in regular contact with Russia
  • Oleg Pulatov, known as Giurza. He is allegedly a former soldier with GRU special forces who became deputy head of the intelligence service in Donetsk
  • Leonid Kharchenko, known as Krot. He is a Ukrainian national with no military background who led a combat unit as a commander in Eastern Ukraine, say prosecutors.

They are accused of murdering 298 people and causing the MH17 crash. Prosecutors say the men are jointly accountable for the attack because they "co-operated to obtain and deploy" the Buk missile launcher in order to shoot down an aircraft.

Who died on MH17?

Victims on board MH17A total of 298 people from 10 countries died on flight MH17
  • 193 Dutch
  • 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew)
  • 27 Australians
  • 12 Indonesians
  • 10 Britons
  • 4 German nationals, 4 Belgians
  • 3 Filipinos, 1 Canadian and 1 New Zealander

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