MH17 victim families sue Putin, Russia
Families of victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot
down over Ukraine in 2014, are suing President Vladimir Putin and Russia
for Aus$10m each in the European Court of Human Rights,
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Saturday.
The compensation claim was filed with the Strasbourg-based court by
Sydney legal firm LHD Lawyers on May 9 on behalf of 33 next of kin from
Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, the Herald said.
All 298 passengers and crew – the majority of them Dutch – died when
the Boeing 777 was hit by a Russian-made BUK anti-aircraft missile over
war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.
The documents filed by LHD Lawyers allege that the Russian Federation
has worked to keep its involvement in the plane disaster hidden.
Jerry Skinner, a co-associate of LHD whose signature is on the claim, told the Herald that his clients wanted accountability.
“They want enough money to reflect that the Russians take this seriously,” the paper quoted Skinner as saying.
Officials with the Dutch Safety Board concluded last year as part of
an international investigation that the Boeing 777 was hit by a BUK
missile.
In February, a separate criminal investigation team said they hoped
within months to pinpoint the exact spot from which the missile was
fired.
Some families are also considering suing Malaysia Airlines for
damages over loss of earnings as well as compensation for the
“psychological” trauma of losing loved ones.
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