Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 Crashes in Ukraine

angelburst29 said:

Thanks for keeping up with all the new information. A Dutch Professor by the name of Kees van der Pijl, has just published a book and has an active Blog listed to share opinion and information. http://der-abschuss.blogspot.ru/2017/06/buch-quellen.html

A New Twist in the Investigation into Flight MH17 04/09/2017 (Map and photo of book cover)
https://orientalreview.org/2017/09/04/new-twist-investigation-flight-mh17/

In late August Russia handed over decoded radar data to the Netherlands from the aerial zone where Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014. These materials had initially been provided in their original, i.e., non-decoded form, along with the software needed to decode them.

However, the Dutch investigators, despite being armed with the latest in modern technology as well as the assistance of their British colleagues, were not able to decode the recordings, and in the end they asked Russian experts to do it. In three years this has been the only time they have asked to collaborate. Never before had the commission accepted any Russian offers of assistance.

The decoded recordings clearly showed that the missile had been fired from the zone controlled by the Ukrainian military. And this is not some fabricated story concocted by journalists, but documented, technical information.

However, every sign seems to indicate that the decoded information obtained from Russia will not be included in the case file, but will instead face the fate of so much other data that does not fit neatly into the preferred version of the investigation. It will probably just fall into a black hole, which is what happened to the photos of the tragedy that were taken by American spy satellites.. {yeah, the photos that never were}

In the meantime however, it will not be easy for the investigators to stick to their prescribed approach to the investigation. Independent experts are conscientiously suggesting new avenues of inquiry that could help move the process along.

For example, since all of the Ukrainian army’s existing launch sites for its Buk-M1 missile-defense system can be accounted for and examined by the commission, it would be a simple enough matter to establish whether at least one of them was used to fire the missile. An inspection of the 60 existing launch sites within this system is both physically possible and could provide some surprising information. The launch of a Buk-M1 missile leaves indelible “burns” on the ramp that cannot be concealed, even under a new coat of paint. Although that would seem to be a very simple suggestion, it’s a significant one.

Kees van der Pijl, a Dutch professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Sussex and the president of the NGO The Committee of Vigilance Against Resurgent Fascism, recently finished writing a book titled “The Launch: Flight MH17, Ukraine and New Cold War” (Der Abschuss: Flug MH17, die Ukraine und der neue Kalte Krieg). The German-language version of the book will go on sale later this month, and the English original and Portuguese translation will be available by the end of the year.

Professor van der Pijl examines the tragedy from a geopolitical perspective and asks: who benefited most from this disaster? And he answers: the US, which subsequently imposed sanctions against Russia, undermining its gas industry and checking its growing role on the international stage.

Specifically, the professor cites the following arguments:

– One day before the tragedy, the BRICS nations signed an agreement to establish their own bank, which the US saw as a rival to the IMF and World Bank.

– Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel had settled on a new conceptual framework for resolving the crisis in Ukraine – without US input – and real progress was being made.

– In addition, once the Boeing 777 was downed, American gas companies were suddenly able to find the traction to kick-start their work in Europe and force Russia out of the EU market. Moscow was forced to abandon the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, and relations with the government in Kiev, which subsequently became a pawn in the games played by the West, definitively soured.

Not a single European or American media outlet has reacted to the announcement of the book’s publication and its path onto the shelves of bookstores is unlikely to be an easy one. However, times are changing, and many people are taking an interest in and flocking to Professor van der Pijl’s blog, Der Abschuss Flug MH17, which provides information about the publication of the book as well as links to his sources.

Using the materials available to them, the authors of the blog intend to shed light on the absurd inconsistencies evident during the investigation, as well as the investigators’ stubborn reluctance to answer awkward questions. Some known examples are:

– How could Ukrainian President Poroshenko, who announced the tragedy 15 minutes after it occured, have known that the Boeing 777 had been shot down by a Russian Buk missile?

– Why does the investigative commission not take into account the results of the experimental destruction of a retired passenger airliner by the company Almaz Antey, while also refusing to take part in a second experiment?

– What prompted Ukrainian dispatchers to alter MH17’s flight path right before tragedy struck?

We shall soon see whether officials will block the distribution of the book and what the consequences of that might be. But events could take an interesting turn. As a result of Professor van der Pijl’s efforts, we will learn the price of not only the work of the Dutch commission investigating the tragic fate of flight MH17, but the European democracy and European justice as well…

The publication is based on Dmitry Sedov’s article by Strategic Culture Foundation (in Russian), adapted and translated by ORIENTAL REVIEW.

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Estimated distance to Flight MH-17 from the Ukrainian-controlled BUK launcher in Zaroshchenskoe at the moment of attack (less than 30km) lies within the operational range, unlike one, presumably operated by the Donbass militia.

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Palinurus said:

Thanks for finding and sharing this new development, angelburst29.

I'm only wondering why this man didn't come forward any earlier and also where the statements are of all those others who according to him witnessed and discussed this same fact -- if true, of course ?

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Bellingcat Links Russian General to Downing of Flight MH17

Dec 8, 2017 — 16:30 — Update: 16:55

Russian Colonel General Nikolai Tkachev has been identified as a key figure in the downing of MH17 in a joint report released Friday by Bellingcat and The Insider.

Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 at the height of the conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists. In 2015, the Dutch Safety Board found that the plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile, adding to suspicions that Russian-backed separatists were responsible for the airliner's downing.

In September 2016, the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) published a call for information about a key suspect in the incident — Nikolai Fedorovich, also known as “Delfin.”

“The investigation has identified, to a high degree of certainty, Delfin as Colonel General Nikolai Fedorovich Tkachev, currently serving as the Chief Inspector of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation,” the joint report said Friday. Tkachev is the most senior Russian officer linked to the downing of MH17 to date.

Former separatist commander Igor Girkin told The Insider that he had met Delfin. He confirmed the meeting in comments to the RBC business portal Friday.

"I honestly do not know his name,” Girkin told RBC. “But I know the callsign: Delfin. I was sure that he was a retired general.”

The Kremlin has denied involvement in eastern Ukraine and the downing of the airliner, which claimed the lives of all 298 people onboard.

Bellingcat's report with The Insider used open source data and forensic voice analysis to identify Tkachev.

In an interview with The Insider, Tkachev denied having been in Ukraine in 2014, let alone having traveled outside of Yekaterinburg since 2012.

On Friday, JIT said it had “taken note” of the joint report but could not yet offer additional comments.

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Russian general says allegations of his involvement in MH17 crash are stupid

Retired colonel-general Nikolai Tkachev said that conclusions about his involvement in the crash
of Flight MH17 of Malaysia Airlines over the Donbass in July 2014 were absurd.

Source Pravda.Ru Today at 18:17

Commenting on the investigation of Bellingcat group and The Insider, Tkachev said: "This is obvious stupidity and nonsense. I have lived in Yekaterinburg for many years, I work in the field of military patriotic education of children. I am in constant contact with public organisations, I participate in various public events and always remain within the line of sight of mass media outlets. I have nothing more to add to this."

Bellingcat experts and journalists of The Insider publication have revealed the results of their another "investigation," which claims that retired colonel-general Nikolai Tkachev allegedly appears as the key figure in the case of the crash of Flight MH17, which was shot down in the sky over the Donetsk region.

A year ago, Bellingcat unveiled its own investigation into the catastrophe of the Malaysian Boeing in the Donbass in July 2014 without presenting even one single reliable fact in the report.

After the publication of the 115-page report, it became obvious that Elliott Higgins did not have any specific evidence to substantiate his assumptions. The very introduction to the report said that there was no direct evidence of whether it was Russian military or Ukrainian separatists, who used the Bus missile system. However, given the complexity of the Buk-M1 complex, Bellingcat experts assumed that the Russian military delivered the Buk system to separatists and provided them with instructors. The report also said that a column of an anti-aircraft missile brigade was allegedly transporting Buk-M1 complexes in Russia two days after the disaster adding that despite the "significance" of this event the fact of the convoy could not prove its connection with the disaster.

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Palinurus said:

New developments can explain the sudden emergence of this new witness since the infamous Bellingcat has now published allegations of involvement of a high ranking Russian general named Nikolai Tkachev in the launch of the fatal BUK-missile. The general has denied any involvement.

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/report-names-russian-general-linked-downing-flight-mh17-59877

Bellingcat Links Russian General to Downing of Flight MH17

Dec 8, 2017 — 16:30 — Update: 16:55

...Former separatist commander Igor Girkin told The Insider that he had met Delfin. He confirmed the meeting in comments to the RBC business portal Friday.

"I honestly do not know his name,” Girkin told RBC. “But I know the callsign: Delfin. I was sure that he was a retired general.”

The Kremlin has denied involvement in eastern Ukraine and the downing of the airliner, which claimed the lives of all 298 people onboard.

Bellingcat's report with The Insider used open source data and forensic voice analysis to identify Tkachev.

In an interview with The Insider, Tkachev denied having been in Ukraine in 2014, let alone having traveled outside of Yekaterinburg since 2012...

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He is currently being sued by the families of eighteen passengers who were killed when forces under his command allegedly shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

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=snips said:

I was the one who pulled the trigger of this war.

If our unit hadn't crossed the border, everything would have fizzled out — like in [the Ukrainian city of] Kharkiv, like in Odessa.

There would have been several dozen killed, burned, detained. And that would have been the end of it. But the flywheel of the war, which is continuing to this day, was spun by our unit. We mixed up all the cards on the table.

Strelkov's interview was published the same day the United Nations released a report highlighting the involvement of Russian fighters in the eastern Ukraine conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,300 people since mid-April.
[...]
Initially I assumed that the Crimea scenario would be repeated: Russia would enter," he told Zavtra. "That was the best scenario. And the population wanted that. Nobody intended to fight for the Luhansk and Donetsk republics. Initially everybody was for Russia.

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Strelkov has been living in Russia since early this fall {2014}, when he said he was moving to Moscow to protect President Vladimir Putin from enemies and traitors.

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After nearly two years of sitting quietly, the erstwhile poster boy of the pro-Russia cause last week released a declaration strongly critical of President Vladimir Putin, and predicting upheaval and bloodshed in Russia in the near future.

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In the Ukraine, Yevtushenkov’s MTS telephone company has been exposed for as much as $2 billion in losses, as calculated here. That provides substantial motive for preserving his links to the ousted Ukrainian president, Victor Yanukovich; to the replacement regime in Kiev; and to other Ukrainian oligarchs involved in the eastern region war. Not to do so would be imprudent business, not a want of loyalty to the Russian side in the conflict.

Unlike Mikhail Fridman (below left, photograph of 2002), the other Russian oligarch with a major telephone concession in Ukraine, Yevtushenkov (right) wasn’t born on the Ukrainian side of the frontier. Throughout the war, the two of them have kept comparably shtum.

The silence has encouraged speculation by pro-Kiev Ukrainian media that Yevtushenkov has been marked by the Kremlin for helping to finance the Novorussian leadership in Donetsk and Lugansk; and for continuing to keep the money flowing after Putin had decided to remove several of the Novorussian commanders, particularly Colonel Igor Strelkov (Girkin). The theory that Yevtushenkov has been discredited because Putin is afraid of a nationalist challenge by Strelkov started in Kiev; was amplified by the opposition to Putin in Moscow; and repeated by US media of both the pro-Putin and anti-Putin camps.

[...]

About Malofeev there is also reliable evidence of his role in financing some of the Donetsk and Lugansk militias, as well as Strelkov.

A chart of organization and influence (below) has been published in the Russian press, purporting to place Yevtushenkov between Strelkov on the left, Malofeev in the centre, and Yanukovich on the far right, almost out of the picture. No line, and no evidence of cashflow, substantiate any link between Strelkov and Yevtushenkov.

{see link for chart}

Strelkov blames several unnamed Kremlin assistants for betraying him and the Novorussian cause, and he has singled out one name, Vladislav Surkov {of Chechen descent - you can read about him here - he is know for Russia's "sovereign democracy" policies and is Putin's personal advisor}. But Strelkov is also believed to have support from much stronger presidential figures like the presidential chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov. If either man or faction around Putin persuaded their boss to shut down Strelkov’s money supply, it has not been explained why they should pick on Yevtushenkov, when Malofeev was, and is today, not less vulnerable. For VTB’s dossier on Malofeev’s wrongdoing, read this.

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MH17 investigators have ‘considerable interest’ in new Bellingcat claim

December 11, 2017

The Dutch-led team investigating the downing of flight MH17 said it had ‘learned with considerable interest’ about new claims made by online investigation group Bellingcat.

Bellingcat said on Friday it had identified a man heard speaking on a number of intercepted phone calls as Russian general Nikolai Fedorovich Tkachev following voice analysis.

The identity of the owner of the voice, known as Delfin, is considered key to the investigation and last year the investigation team (JIT) appealed for help in identifying him and another voice known as Orion.

‘There are a number of details surrounding Delfin and Orion that are unclear, including their exact role in the downing of MH17, but the fact that the JIT has specifically requested information on them implies how they are key persons of interest in the criminal investigation of the tragedy,’ Bellingcat said.

The JIT statement said that reactions to the call for information would be seriously looked at, including the information provided by Bellingcat. However, the JIT declined to give further information in the interests of the investigation and out of privacy considerations.

An analysis of the findings by international law professor Marieke de Hoon in Trouw (in Dutch) suggests they could be a ‘game changer’ if correct.

This would prove Russia had a presence in Ukraine at the time MH17 was shot down, which has major consequences under the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Russian ambassador to the Netherlands denies fake news allegations

December 15, 2017

Russia’s ambassador to the Netherlands has told broadcaster NOS in an interview (in Dutch) that his country is not spreading fake news in the Netherlands.

In addition, accusations made by the new Dutch government are worsening relations between the two countries, ambassador Alexander Vasilievich Shulgin said.

Home affairs minister Kajsa Ollongren said last month the Russian security services are trying to influence public opinion in the Netherlands by spreading fake news.

In particular, Russia has attempted to influence people’s ideas about the MH17 disaster, she said, referring to a website which was full of false information but had been made to look like an official Dutch operation.

‘Russia is portrayed as a gigantic, pernicious octopus looming over the free world, poised to destroy fragile democracies,’ the ambassador said. ‘There is absolutely no evidence, no proof to confirm these allegations… we are denying any kind of interference, any kind of meddling.’

Asked if the allegations harmed the relationship between the Netherlands and Russia, Shulgin said: ‘The relations between our country and yours are not at their best. And in this context, any unsubstantiated or unchecked allegations are not useful at all. They are just stopping us resuming full fledged cooperation as it used to be.’

Asked what he wanted from Ollongren, the ambassador said he could not make any comment about what she had told parliament because it is not his job to do so.

Ollongren said in a reaction (in Dutch) to the ambassador’s comments that she had not expected him to admit Russia was conducting covert operations in the west.

‘But I do think we should be aware that it is happening,’ she said.

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MH17 may have been shot down ‘by mistake’, investigator tells NRC

December 30, 2017

There is an ‘extremely large amount of material’ which suggests flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by accident, the leader of the team (in Dutch) investigating the incident has told the NRC (in Dutch).

Fred Westerbeke, who heads the international team which is carrying out the criminal investigation into the attack, says it is still too early to draw conclusions but that a number of questions must be asked.

In particular, the team wants to know why the Malaysia Airways plane was shot down rather than one from the ‘enemy’ Ukraine airforce. ‘It is really important for us to know this,’ he said.

‘Why was the BUK used to bring down a passenger airline rather than a jet fighter or an Antonov from Ukraine,’ he said. ‘What was the aim?’

All 298 people on board flight MH17 were killed when it was struck by a missile on July 17, 2014, and crashed into fields in eastern Ukraine. Two-thirds of the passengers on the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were Dutch.

The JIT’s preliminary investigations concluded last year that the plane was shot down from Ukrainian farmland by a BUK missile ‘controlled by pro-Russian fighters’. That conclusion has been disputed by Russia, which claims that Ukrainian fighters were responsible.

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18 December 201717:10
Ambassador Shulgin’s interview with NOS, December 13, 2017

Q: Mr. Ambassador, thank you very much for having us. We have two subjects to discuss: MH17 and fake news. And let’s start with fake news. You have heard the allegations from our Minister of Home Affairs. How did you feel about that?

I am somewhat reluctant to comment on what appears to be a domestic affair. Indeed, the Interior Minister communicated with the Dutch parliamentarians. Knowing what the general mood is here, I’m afraid that whatever I may say may be interpreted as yet another evidence of Russian interference. Therefore, I will limit myself to making just a couple of general remarks. There are lots of allegations now about Russia meddling into this, interfering into that. You know, there is one well-known overseas TV channel. I used to watch this channel. This morning I watched it again and one famous journalist hosted a night guest, a lady, obviously a political expert. And the subject was none other than the strategic mind of Vladimir Putin. There was an endless litany of complaints about Russian spies, Russian hackers, Russian meddling. Actually, the whole picture is very dark. Russia is portrayed like a gigantic pernicious octopus, looming over the free world, poised to destroy the fragile democracy. In the Netherlands, in Germany, in France, in the United States. You know, it would have been ridiculous, hadn’t it been so sad. Actually, there was absolutely no evidence, no proof to confirm these allegations about Russia’s interference, Russia’s meddling.

Q: If you would allow, they say there is sufficient proof. For instance, a Russian website with false information about MH17.

Let me just cite an example. There was a talk about Russia’s interference, regarding the hashtag #Hennisdebate here in the Hague. And the respected newspaper NRC Handelsblad tried to check the allegations about the massive use of the hashtag #Hennisdebate by Twitter accounts presumably related to the Russian IP addresses. This investigation was carried out by journalists who are all but Russian sympathizers. Nevertheless, they were unable to find any confirmation of these allegations. They just acknowledged that.

Q: So you are denying it?

Yes, we are denying any kind of interference, any kind of meddling. There is absolutely no proof.

Q: Why would the Dutch government say something like that?

It has become a kind of fashion. Not only the Dutch government but some other personalities are saying this. This tendency to depict Russia as an absolute evil is kind of a fashion. We are disappointed by this picture made of Russia.

Q: Does it harm the relations between Holland and the Russian Federation?

The relations between our country and yours are not at their best. And in this context, any unsubstantiated or unchecked allegations are not useful at all. They are keeping us from resuming full-fledged cooperation as it was before.

Q: But is fake news according to you a problem?

Fake news is about deceiving public opinion in order to get a political advantage. We in Russia don’t underestimate this threat. The Russian Foreign Ministry has a website where there is a section about fake news, about unscrupulous methods being used by some media. So, if you are willing to see this website, you’re invited to do so. And you can check what the picture is regarding fake news as seen by the Russian side.

Q: You are denying this story but do you understand that people who see this interview maybe think that you are trying to intervene in our democracy? We have heard the stories of US elections where you tried it. So it’s not unthinkable that you are trying it here as well.

No, we are not interfering. Our policy is about the necessity to develop cooperation without any kind of interference.

Q: But is it possible that not the state but particular groups are trying to do this?

No, it is not the case.

Q: Even individuals?

I have expressed my disappointment about this collective obnubilation. It’s turning into a kind of obsession about Russian interference. The western media are very vocal about this. But let me ask you a question: why the same media are so strangely silent about well-established, well-known facts of interfering coming from the other side? I refer to the facts of wire-tapping, of eavesdropping by one overseas secret service that targeted not only ordinary citizens here in Europe, but also their leadership. It comes from open sources. You can just put a request into the internet “wiretapping of some Western leaders, wiretapping of their personal mobile phones”, and you will get a thousand of hits to this question, to this request. May I also remind you that the budget of the National Security Agency in the USA amounts to $15 billion whereas the overall military budget of the Russian Federation is just $70 billion. Doesn’t it speak volumes to you or does it?

Q: It’s very clear what you want to say. But let me ask you one question about it. Is fake news according to you a problem? And how can we fight against it? Do we, for instance, have to work together or not?

Yes. Let me remind you that Russia has been putting forward all kinds of initiatives in this respect. Last year we submitted to the United Nations a draft Convention on international information security. More recently we submitted yet another draft UN Convention on cooperation in fighting information crimes. But, unfortunately, all these initiatives are systematically blocked by the Western countries. Just to refresh your memory, you may have heard that Russian and American presidents had agreed at some point about the necessity to set up a working group – Russian-American working group on cybercrimes. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no follow-up. So, it’s high time for all of us to understand that we are just in the same boat and we need to cooperate in order to address the ever growing number of challenges and threats.

Q: And specifically to the Dutch government, the Minister of Home Affairs, what do you want from her?

I can’t make any comment on the statements made by the Interior Minister here. Like I said, it’s not up to me to comment what she is saying when communicating with Dutch parliamentarians. I am just speaking on behalf of Russian policy which is not about interference, any kind of interference. We have been advocating for the policy of cooperation, and there was absolutely no proof against Russia regarding its interference. It’s pointless to speak about Russian interference at all.

Q: OK, enough about fake news. We’re going to MH17. First of all, could you tell us how many times did the Dutch ask for legal help? And did you approve of all of those requests?

Well, I will start with some general remarks. Russia is committed to shedding light on this terrible tragedy of MH17 which claimed so many lives. Those who are guilty of this crime should be held accountable. This goes without saying, it’s our straightforward position. Russia initiated the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of the resolution 2166 that called for a comprehensive and thorough investigation. All these years we have been trying to be helpful, providing the Dutch investigators with all kind of elements, necessary elements, including the results of a natural size experiment carried out by the Buk missile manufacturer – the company “Almaz Antey”. More than a year ago the Russian side provided the Joint Investigation Team with the raw data information, which is of critical importance for understanding what happened and how it all occurred. We are still waiting for the reaction of the Dutch side. This is the response to this question you may have in mind – what is the latest regarding the MH17 tragedy coming from the Russian side.

Q: You have sent radar footage to the Joint Investigation Team. Do you know if you have sent any other evidence yet?

Yes, you know, the raw radar data information is something which is of critical importance. And this was requested both by families of the victims and by some Dutch parliamentarians. And we just listened to these requests and we provided the Dutch government, the Dutch prosecutors with this information.

Q: Do you have trust in an independent investigation from the Joint Investigation Team?

Well, our principal position is about the necessity to carry out a comprehensive and thorough investigation. When we initiated this resolution 2166, one of the provisions of this resolution was about the necessity for the Investigation Team to report to the Security Council of the United Nations on any significant developments concerning the investigation. And up till now I have no knowledge of any kind of such briefings for the UNSC members. So, the transparency of this investigation leaves to be much desired. There are some questions that come to our mind. Just recently there was this report about Bellingcat findings.

Q: You mean the Russian general who was heard on recordings?

The case of somebody from the Russian side, a retired general, involved in the whole matter. And it was provided by Bellingcat bloggers. You know, we need to differentiate between what can be seen as a truly professional investigation and the investigation by homegrown detectives. But I am coming just to another troubling thing. As soon as Bellingcat released this report, the Joint Investigation Team stated its readiness to study it very carefully and adjoin this to the dossier of MH17. But again we are asking the same question. Why hasn’t the Russian radar information, critical information, been treated as much? One year passed without any reaction from the Dutch side. So, in one case there is just a rapid, swift reaction, and in the other case the critical information is being studied for a whole year.

Q: So do you assume it’s not a fair, balanced and independent investigation?

I’m just pointing out to this discrepancy. This kind of treatment. I can cite another example…

Q: But just to be specific, will you acknowledge the outcome of the investigation regardless what the conclusions will be?

Let’s not anticipate. We will wait for the investigation to be completed. And we will judge the investigation by its results.

Q: But it’s not fair and balanced right now? That’s actually what you are saying.

No, I am saying that there are some questions on our mind. There is this information provided by these so-called detectives from Bellingcat. The reaction of the Joint Investigation Team is quite immediate. “It’s very valuable information, we will add it to the dossier”. And we are still waiting for a response regarding the Russian information. Just admit it that it is a kind of surprise in treatment of this information.

Q: The story of Bellingcat was about the high general. Can you confirm that it was him that we heard on one of the recordings?

Well, again. Let’s differentiate. We need to trust the professional investigation, and this is all about the allegations made by some kind of bloggers. There are lots of speculations about MH17. You just cited this example. But quite recently there was a report about the appearance of a new witness. A very important witness, a former major of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, whose testimony was running counter to this version put forward by Bellingcat. And there was absolutely no reaction. Is this because this report of the appearance of a new witness has come from a Russian rather than a Western source?

Q: I’ve got four questions left. If a Russian is a suspect in the MH17 prosecution, are you willing to extradite him?

Under the Russian Constitution, if I’m not mistaken article 61, a Russian citizen shall not be extradited. There is no extradition rule in the Russian Constitution. It is prohibited.

Q: But if a Russian is a suspect, are you willing to arrest him and set up a video interrogation in Russia?

Well, just a couple of general remarks. Russia is not bound to follow the decisions made by foreign courts. This is under international law. Russia is not bound to follow this. But there is still a possibility to treat some questions within the mechanism of legal assistance between our countries.

Q: So, it’s not a “no”, but you have some conditions? Is that what I heard?

It will be decided according to the Russian criminal procedure law.

Q: And the last question about that. If a Russian will be convicted by the MH17 court, are you willing to imprison him in Russia?

Yet again, this is a highly hypothetical situation. The investigation is not over yet. Let’s wait for the investigation to be completed. We will see how things will play out. We will take our stance then.

Q: But why is it so difficult for you to say yes or no to that question?

About what?

Q: About imprisoning a Russian suspect…

The wording of the question presumes the liability of somebody from the Russian side.

Q: It’s just a question.

To my knowledge, no accusations, no charges have been leveled so far. Even the Dutch prosecutors have not said anything about this.

Q: But you have thought about it, right?

Let’s not anticipate. I would not want to speculate on this one.

Q: OK. Final question. Do you even recognise the court that they are setting up right now for the prosecution of MH17?

Just a general observation. Russia is known to be sceptical of all kinds of interstate judicial mechanisms. In the past we had some examples that were not overly conclusive. I am referring to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Generally speaking, we are not in favour of creating interstate mechanisms, especially when dealing with acts regarding civil aviation. In any case, we are sceptical but we will see.

Q: And why are you precisely sceptical? Is it because you don’t believe in a fair trial?

No, we are sceptical given the experience of the former tribunals. So, I will just limit it to this remark at this point.

Q: And may I ask you what you mean with “sceptical”?

Sceptical about the effectiveness of such mechanisms. They were money consuming, not very effective and politicized.

Q: Do you have an alternative?

Not yet.

Q: Thank you very much for your time.

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