People place flowers and toys at a memorial to victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 plane crash during a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the accident near the village of Hrabove in Donetsk Region, Ukraine July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo
Australia has taken action against three individuals involved in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over Ukraine in 2014, imposing financial sanctions and travel bans, according to Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
MH17 was targeted by a Russian BUK missile system while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, resulting in the deaths of all 298 passengers and crew, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian citizens or residents.
Last year, a Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia for murder in connection with the incident, sentencing them to life imprisonment.
Wong stated that the newly announced sanctions specifically target Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko, two of the individuals convicted by the Dutch court. The third individual, Sergey Muchkaev, is a colonel with the Russian Armed Forces who commanded the brigade responsible for supplying the missile system that brought down the plane.
Australia had previously imposed sanctions on Igor Girkin, another individual convicted in relation to the plane crash, for his involvement in supporting separatism in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement, Wong emphasized Australia’s commitment to holding those responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 accountable, stating that the sanctions serve as an ongoing demonstration of this commitment.
In February, following the suspension of the international prosecutors’ investigation into MH17 due to “strong indications” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval of the missile system’s use, Australia acknowledged the decision. However, the prosecutors stated that the evidence of Putin’s and other Russian officials’ involvement was not conclusive enough to result in criminal convictions.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
