The investigation into the crash of flight MH17 could end in 2022, while there are three options for a date for sentencing, presiding judge Hendrik Steenhais said on Monday.
“We plan to finish the consideration of the case in June 2022. In litigations, the decision is usually made two weeks after that. time is required for sentencing. Therefore, the court considers three dates when this can be done – September 22, if the court does not have time for this date, then the next date – November 17, and the third option – December 15, 2022”, – said Judge Steenhays quoted by RIA Novosti.
The plane crash of the Malaysian Boeing occurred in July 2014, when the airliner was operating flight MH17 on the Amsterdam – Kuala Lumpur route. All 298 people on board the aircraft were killed. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the DPR militias are responsible for the incident. Representatives of the self-proclaimed republic, in turn, said that they did not have the means to shoot down an aircraft at such a height.
Investigation of the crash of the liner is being carried out by a Joint Investigation Group (JIT), which is led by the Attorney General of the Netherlands. Russia is not participating in the investigation.
The investigation claims that Boeing was shot down from a Buk anti-aircraft missile system, which allegedly could belong to the 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade of the RF Armed Forces from Kursk. The lawyers of the suspects before this case have repeatedly petitioned for a forensic medical examination from the crash site, but the Dutch prosecutor’s office rejected these requests.
Earlier, it was reported that UN Secretary General António Guterres issued an appeal for the crash of MH17.