Australia has welcomed a landmark ruling by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United Nations’ top aviation authority, that found Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the decision marked an important step toward justice for the 298 victims of the 2014 disaster, which included 38 Australians and called on Moscow to make reparations under international law.
The ICAO ruling found Russia downed Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, more than 11 years after the disaster during a flight that had departed Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014. ICAO will consider what form of reparation was in order in the coming weeks.
The ICAO, with a headquarters in Montreal, sets global aviation standards adopted by its 193 member states and although it lacks enforcement powers, its decisions carry significant diplomatic weight.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the ICAO decision marked an important step toward justice for the victims of the disaster. In 2022, Dutch judges convicted two Russian men and a Ukrainian man in absentia of murder for their roles in the attack.
“We call upon Russia to finally face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence and make reparations for its egregious conduct, as required under international law,” the Minister said in a statement and urged the ICAO to “move swiftly to determine remedies”.
The case was brought jointly by Australia and the Netherlands – which lost 196 Dutch citizens – in 2022, seeking accountability for the missile attack that brought down MH17 over eastern Ukraine as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
The ruling was “an important step towards establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability for all victims of Flight MH17, and their families and loved ones”, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said.
“This decision also sends a clear message to the international community: states cannot violate international law with impunity.”
