MH17 trial resumes briefly despite Covid restrictions

The Hague, March 23

The trial of three Russians and a Ukrainian charged with multiple murder for their alleged roles in shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 resumed briefly on Monday as the presiding judge read out a number of preliminary decisions.

The courtroom was almost empty due to restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the Covid.

Decisions on several requests by prosecutors for further investigations

were delayed to give defense lawyers for one of the defendants more time to prepare.

Among decisions taken by the court since the trial opened on March 9, Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis authorised prosecutors to give lawyers for family members of the 298 victims access to limited parts of the investigation dossier.

After a hearing of just under 45 minutes, the case was adjourned until June 8, when defense lawyers for one of the suspects will be allowed to make preliminary objections such as challenging the Dutch court’s jurisdiction to stage the trial.

None of the suspects is attending the trial and only one — Russian Oleg Pulatov — has appointed defense lawyers to represent him. When the trial opened earlier this month, the courtroom was packed with lawyers, judges, family members of victims and media.

But on Monday judges sat separated from one another by an empty seat, the number of prosecutors, lawyers and other staff was reduced and family and media were not allowed to attend. —AP

Four accused face murder charges

• Monday’s session was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak but was broadcast via an internet livestream
• The defendants – Russians Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Igor Girkin and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko — held senior posts in pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine in 2014, according to prosecutors
• They face preliminary charges of murder and of causing an aircraft to crash
• Prosecutors say the four men helped to arrange the Russian missile system used to shoot down MH17, a civilian aircraft, killing all onboard
• MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a missile