MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2020) The criminal proceedings in the Hague regarding the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will resume on June 3, presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis said on Friday.
The trial of four suspects in the case � Russian nationals Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko � began in March, but had to be adjourned over the COVID-19 pandemic. It was resumed earlier in the month.
During today's hearing, the prosecution and the defense clashed on the subject of translation of Pulatov's case into Russian as well as the need for further investigation. Meanwhile, representatives of the victims' families requested a number of the case files. The court decided to announce its decisions on those matters at the next hearing.
"The court will interrupt the hearing until next week Friday, July 3, in the afternoon, at 13:30 [11:30 GMT]," the judge said during the trial.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, in eastern Ukraine on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. All 298 people aboard died. The accident was investigated by Dutch prosecutors and the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
Russia, which conducted its own investigation after being denied access to the JIT's probe, said it had given the Dutch team evidence, such as radar data, proving the plane was shot down by a Ukrainian Buk missile. Dutch prosecutor Ward Ferdinandusse said the Russian evidence had been taken into account during the investigation.
