There are “sturdy indications” Russian President Vladimir Putin individually permitted the selection to provide the missile program made use of to shoot down Malaysia Airways flight MH17 above Ukraine, an worldwide team has mentioned.

Even so, evidence of Mr Putin’s and other Russian officials’ involvement in the capturing down of MH17 was not concrete ample to guide to a felony conviction, and the probe will finish without the need of additional prosecutions, a press convention at The Hague heard.

Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer reported: “The investigation has now arrived at its restrict. The findings are inadequate for the prosecution of new suspects.”

When Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte added it was a “bitter disappointment” that the investigation had finished devoid of further more prosecutions.

“We will continue to connect with the Russian Federation to account for its purpose in this tragedy,” Mr Rutte said.

Guilty may well hardly ever deal with justice

The fate of the investigation was introduced three months just after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel for their roles in shooting down the Boeing 777 on 17 July 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Just one Russian was acquitted.

None of the suspects appeared for the demo and it is unclear if the three who were being observed responsible of numerous murders in their absence will ever provide their sentences.

Russia has normally denied involvement in the tragedy. It released a entire-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the court of bowing to stress from Dutch politicians, prosecutors and the media.

But the convictions, blended with the court’s discovering that the surface area-to-air Buk missile which brought down the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight arrived from a Russian armed service foundation, had been found as crystal clear indicators Moscow had a job.

In November prosecutors argued Moscow was in all round management of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, the separatist location of japanese Ukraine where by the missile was launched from, at the time of the disaster in 2014.

Hague hears phone calls indicating Putin’s most likely involvement

Proof cited at The Hague on Wednesday presented the closest back links so considerably amongst Mr Putin himself and the weapons accountable for downing MH17.

Intercepted cellphone calls among leaders of the breakaway area and “large-position Russian federal government officers held in the summer time of 2014” have been explained by prosecutors.

The intercepts advised Mr Putin experienced to approve the supply of weapons to separatists.

Prosecutors also played a 2017 dialogue involving Mr Putin himself and the Russian-appointed main administrator of Ukraine’s Luhansk province, in which the two discussed the army predicament.

“The indications for close ties in between the leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Russian federal government officials raises concerns about their involvement in the deployment of the missile,” the Netherlands Public Prosecution Company mentioned on its web site.

The Buk missile method came from the Russian military’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in the city of Kursk, investigators found.

But they could not trace the precise soldiers who fired the weapon at flight MH17.

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As perfectly as the prison trial held in the Netherlands, the Dutch and Ukrainian governments are suing Russia at the European Court docket of Human Legal rights over its alleged position in the downing of the passenger aircraft.

Piet Ploeg, who heads a foundation symbolizing victims, explained he was dissatisfied the investigation experienced ended, but was happy prosecutors experienced laid out their evidence of Mr Putin’s involvement.

He explained: “We won’t be able to do a whole lot with it, Putin are not able to be prosecuted.

“We wanted to know who was ultimately responsible and that is crystal clear.”

Mr Ploeg’s brother, his brother’s spouse and his nephew died on MH17.