End of the investigation into the crash of MH17, this Malaysia Airlines plane shot down on July 17, 2014 by a Russian missile in Ukraine, while connecting the capitals of the Netherlands and Malaysia. The 298 passengers and crew members had lost their lives there. During a press conference, this Wednesday, February 8, at the headquarters of the European agency Eurojust in The Hague, the joint investigation team announced the suspension of the investigation.
With our regional correspondent, Pierre Benazet
Two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist had already been convicted in a first trial in this case, it was three months ago. But there will be no other trial, even if Russian President Vladimir Putin is now implicated.
Investigators from the five countries participating in the joint investigation released at their press conference on Wednesday several recordings of Russian officials, or Ukrainian separatists, who mention the name of Vladimir Putin, as well as a recording of a conversation with the Russian president himself.
All the elements gathered by the investigators point to the fact that the master of the Kremlin is responsible for the decision to grant batteries of solar missiles to the separatists of Donetsk and Luhansk. For them, there are strong indications that Mr. Putin personally approved the transfer to Ukrainian separatists of Buk missile batteries, including the one that shot down MH17 in July 2014.
It is only a bundle of presumptions. Moreover, Dutch laws do not allow the prosecution of a head of state. Investigators accurately identified the Buk missile battery, and the Russian regiment to which it belonged. On the other hand, they could not identify the personnel of the battery, nor the author of the firing order. The investigation is only suspended for the moment, they are still hoping for additional testimonies.
►Also read: Crash of flight MH17: three men sentenced to life in the Netherlands