Trial of flight MH17: a very technical and emotional first hearing

Text by: Anastasia Becchio Follow

An extraordinary trial which opened this Monday, March 9 in the Netherlands, that of flight MH17 shot down in the east of Ukraine at war, in July 2014. The court found this morning the absence of the four suspects , three Russians and one Ukrainian. Only one, Oleg Poulatov, has hired lawyers to represent him. The first day of the hearing was mainly devoted to procedural matters, which did not prevent moments of emotion.

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With our special correspondent at the Schipol military complex,

For 18 minutes, in a collected silence, a representative of the public prosecutor's office listed the names of the 298 victims. Two-thirds of the passengers on flight MH17 were Dutch, but a total of 17 nationalities were represented. The oldest victim was 82 years old. She was Indonesian. The youngest, a year old, was Malaysian, said one of the judges.

This solemn moment was charged with emotion for the relatives of victims who attend the trial in a room reserved for them, but also for their lawyers. Peter Langstraat is one of them. " I've been in the business for 32 years, but I had to work harder to control my emotions to be honest," he says. What we heard was very impressive and it shows the impact it has had on Dutch society and all families. In everyday life, even today, everyone knows someone a friend, a family member of the victims, a neighbor who was affected by this tragedy. It is the most significant attack on Dutch civilians since the Second World War. It is not only about individual mourning for families, but it has had a huge impact on Dutch society. "

" There have been so many theories about the causes of the MH17 crash ," said the lawyer. We talked about a Ukrainian fighter plane, then a BUK missile fired from Ukrainian territory, there has been a lot of speculation, but the only thing the families of the victims want is the truth and an apology from the officials . "

" Violence finds its only refuge in lies "

The day was also marked by the statements of defense lawyers for only one of the suspects, Oleg Poulatov. Sabine ten Doesschate announced in court that her client believed " that he was not responsible in any way for the disaster. He says it has nothing to do with the destruction of flight MH17, ”said the lawyer. His colleague insisted that Ukraine had not closed its airspace, while the war was raging in the Donbass.

Before that, the floor was against the prosecution. One of the prosecutors explained that the investigation had been long and complex. He reiterated that Russia has stepped up efforts to hinder investigations. And as if to drive the point home, Ward Ferdinandusse ended his statement by quoting the Russian writer and dissident of the Soviet regime Alexander Solzhenitsyn: " Violence finds its only refuge in lies and lies its only support in violence ".

► Read also: Flight MH17 shot down in Ukraine: opening of an extraordinary trial in the Netherlands

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