The government of the Netherlands has spent more than €166 million on liquidation of the consequences of the downing of flight MH17 in the sky over Ukraine in 2014. The Netherlands intends to file a lawsuit against Russia to compensate for these losses.
This is stated in the official report of the Dutch Chamber of Accounts, published on Thursday, February 29, reports AP.
The trial in the case and the extensive international investigation cost a total of more than €87 million. However, the total does not include about €16.5 million, which the Dutch government paid to the next of kin of the victims as an advance before compensation, which the court ordered those convicted in absentia of the shooting down of MH17 to pay.
"This compensation will ultimately have to be paid by the Vinnies, but whether they will do so is an open question," the report said.
The Dutch government has asked an independent audience to assess the costs, after which it intends to seek compensation from Russia as part of a statement submitted by the Netherlands and Australia to the International Civil Aviation Organization. Moscow denies its involvement in the damage.
The Dutch government also supports the families who filed a lawsuit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights. According to the audit, the repatriation and identification of the dead bodies cost more than €31 million. The cost of international legal proceedings and diplomatic measures is €5.7 million.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also confirmed that the report could be the basis for a lawsuit.
"The government is very grateful for this report because [...] we can take a step towards justice. This report could lead to a well-founded claim for compensation in the Dutch lawsuit against Russia," he said in a post on the social network. X.
- The passenger plane of the Malaysia Airlines company, operating flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down on July 17, 2014 near the occupied Torez of the Donetsk region by a Russian-made Buk anti-aircraft missile system. 298 people died, Russia and the convicts deny their involvement in the disaster.
- On November 17, 2022, the District Court of The Hague, considering the case of the downing of the airliner MH17 in 2014, found Igor Girkin (call sign "Strelkov"), his subordinates Sergei Dubinskyi (call sign "Khmuryi") and Leonid Kharchenko (call sign "Krot") guilty of destroying the flight. Oleg Pulatov (call sign "Gyurza") was acquitted.