Flight MH17: Four ogbonge questions ten years after di deadly crash

On 17th July 2014 one Russian missile shoot down one passenger plane wey bin dey operated by Malaysian Airlines, killing nearly 300 pipo on board. Dis na four key questions about di incident, among many wey never still get answer.

Flight MH17 bi dey head from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur wen one missile over di Donbas region for di east of Ukraine hit am, where at di time one conflict bin dey on between Russian-controlled militant groups and di Ukrainian army. All 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew die.

Dutch authorities launch a criminal investigation into di incident and over di years interview plenti witnesses and cook eye inside hundreds of pieces of evidence. Russia deny any responsibility for di crash but di investigators find connections to di Russian authorities.

Dis na di key - ogbonge - questions around di deadly incident.

Who dem find guilty in connection with di crash?

For 2022 di District Court of The Hague find three people guilty of involvement in di crash of di passenger plane.

All of dem be former Russian Security Service (FSB) officers, wey also be part of di government of di self-proclaimed Donetsk People Republic (DPR), one Russian-backed separatist region for di east of Ukraine.

Igor Girkin be DPR former “defence” minister, Sergei Dubinsky be di former head of im military intelligence and Leonid Kravchenko bin work for Dubinsky.

One fourth person bin dey accused as well but di court later decide say enough evidence no dey against am to find am guilty.

All three dem convict - find guilty- bin dey sentenced to life imprisonment, though none of dem show for court.

Moscow no cooperate with di international investigation of di crash, even though both Girkin and Dubinsky be Russian citizens.

Igor Girkin eventually end up behind bars for Russia but for completely different charges.

Di ex-FSB officer bin accuse di Russian military leadership of incompetence during di full-scale invasion - and dem charge am with extremism for January 2024 and sentence am to four years in prison. Criticising di Russian military become a criminal offence soon after di start of di February 2022 invasion.

Who launch di missile?

Dutch-led investigators study video and photo evidence and chook eye inside hundreds of calls dem intercept. Dis evidence help dem to prove say di plane bin dey shot down by one missile wey dem launch from one Buk anti-aircraft launcher, from di territory wey dey controlled by di ‘DPR” separatists. Na from Russia dem bin supply di Buk launcher.

At di same time, di court say none of di three guilty pipo press di missile launch button.

Bellingcat investigative website find say di Buk launcher in question belong to di Third battalion of Russia 53rd Air Defense Brigade - e narrow down di group of potential culprits to around 30 people. Three or four of dem wey dey likely to dey operate di Buk on 17 July 2014.

Dutch investigators bin ask di Russian authorities to question di commander of dis Brigade, Colonel Sergei Muchkaev. Moscow no answer those requests despite complaining say dem deny dem access to investigation.

Anoda person wey come up for di phone calls dem intercept na one Russian FSB Colonel-General Andrey Burlaka. Evidence from di calls show say Burlaka likely participate in transferring di Buk system from Russia to di east of Ukraine.

BBC find say General Burlaka bin dey decorated with Russia highest award - “Hero of Russia” - during di active stage of di armed conflict for di east of Ukraine for 2014-2015.

Wetin be Putin role?

For February 2023, months afta di sentencing of di three culprits, di investigators say Russian President Vladimir Putin bin directly dey involved for di east of Ukraine conflict and di downing of di plane.

As proof, dem bring up two intercepted phone calls, both of which refer to di fact say di decision to bring di Buk air defence missile launcher to Ukraine na something wey di “the very top personality” take, wey be likely reference to President Putin.

For one press conference, investigators from di Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) say: “Strong indications dey say Putin bin dey directly involved in decisions regarding di Buk, but dis indications no reach di high bar of complete evidence wey no fit dey denied.”

Dem also say President Putin status as di Russian head of state provide am with immunity under di Dutch law and national court no fit try am while e remain in office.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov comment at di time say Russia bin no dey allowed to take part in di investigation and say dat one “no contribute to im objectivity.”

Wetin dey next for di victims compensation?

For 2020, di Dutch government appeal to di European Court of Human Rights, asking say make Russia dey recognized as responsible for di deaths of 298 passengers and crew members of di MH17 flight, as well as for refusing to investigate di incident. Dis case still dey on.

The Dutch government argue say Russia play a key role for di disaster and say di Kremlin ongoing disinformation campaign over di downing of di plane na gross violation of di civil rights of relatives of di victims.

Moscow continue to deny all accusations dem bring against am and dey actively use di MH17 case for im propaganda. E claim say di plane bin dey shot down by di Ukrainian army or even say di passengers for di flight bin don die before di downing.

If Russia lose di ECHR case, e dey possible say di court go ask am to pay compensation to di victims. In practice, such a decision dey likely to remain symbolic.

Shortly after di start of di full-scale invasion of Ukraine, di Russian parliament adopt one law on “non-implementation of di ECHR decisions” - e become effective on 15 March 2022.

At di same time, compensations to di MH17 crash victims no get statute of limitations. E dey possible say at some point for di future, a different government for Russia fit adopt a political decision to do such settlement.