Families of those killed on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over war-torn Ukraine ten years ago, will get together on Wednesday to commemorate the tragedy and let go of expectations that those guilty will soon be in jail.
At a memorial park close to Schiphol airport, where the tragic flight took off on a sunny summer’s day on July 17, 2014, hundreds of relatives, together with government authorities and dignitaries, are scheduled to attend the occasion.
A few hours later, as the Boeing 777 flew over eastern Ukraine on a route to Kuala Lumpur, it was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile. Every passenger—298 in total—died.
Due to their roles in downing the plane over pro-Russian territory held by separatists during the early stages of a conflict that saw Moscow grab the Crimean peninsula, three men have been sentenced to life in prison by a Dutch court while they were not present.
The names of every deceased, 196 of whom were Dutch, will be read out during the commemoration on Wednesday, according to the event’s organizers.
Among the casualties from ten nations were 43 Malaysians and 38 Australians.
There are memorial services scheduled elsewhere, notably in the Australian parliament.
“Today is still quite gloomy. Evert van Zijtveld, who also lost his parents-in-law and his 19-year-old daughter Frederique, stated, “For all of us.”
“We’ve come together once more to remember our loved ones. It’s quite depressing “Prior to the event, van Zijtveld spoke with AFP.
In November 2022, Russian Igor Girkin, Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, and Russian Sergei Dubinsky were found guilty by Dutch judges of their participation in bringing down the aircraft.
The three suspects declined to comment on their involvement in the incident or to participate in the court case.
Oleg Pulatov, the fourth man, was declared innocent.
Even though Girkin, Dubinsky, and Kharchenko did not launch the missile personally, judges decided that they may all be held accountable for moving the BUK missile from a Russian military facility to the launch site.
In order to pursue additional suspects, international investigators halted their operation last year, citing insufficient evidence.
But the investigators came to the conclusion that there were “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had given the go-ahead for the missile supply that brought the crashed aircraft down.
The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body with no enforcement authority, is currently hearing arguments from Australia and the Netherlands against Russia.
Denying any participation, Russia has written off the 2022 court ruling as “scandalous” and politically driven.
“I don’t think the people who did this will serve their time,” Van Zijtveld declared.
He made reference to Russia’s war against Ukraine that began in February 2022 when he remarked, “The invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of the war has made that really difficult to believe that any of them will be arrested soon.”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof admitted, “In the end, we were unable to put anyone behind bars.”
“That sense of justice is there, but it wasn’t as it should have been in the end,” he said to NOS, a public broadcaster.
In many ways, the people aboard the plane were some of the first casualties of this ongoing battle, according to Van Zijtveld, who currently manages a foundation in honor of his two children to aid other children, especially refugees from Ukraine.
A representative for the victims’ families told AFP he hoped the verdict would help them move on after it was rendered.
Piet Ploeg lost his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. “I don’t believe in terms of closure — ask relatives who lost their children, you will never find closure for that,” Ploeg stated.
“But I really hope that this day will give families some space to try to get on with their lives,” he stated at that point.
For family members, including a few of his own who will be there on Wednesday, according to Van Zijtveld, July 17 is still a difficult day.
“On that day my children were murdered,” he recounted. “You will see, we will all be attending wearing black clothing,”
