Netherlands: We will bring MH17 killers to justice here
(CNN)The people responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 will be prosecuted by courts in the Netherlands, that country's foreign ministry said Tuesday.
A total of 298 people from 17 countries died when the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was brought down in Eastern Ukraine in July 2014.
Officials have not identified any suspects.
The five countries -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine -- comprising the Joint Investigation Team decided any prosecutions would take place in a Dutch court, Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said.
Nationalities aboard MH17
Nationalities aboard MH17
193 Dutch (including 1 dual Netherlands/U.S. citizen)
43 Malaysian (including 15 crew, 2 infants)
27 Australian
12 Indonesian (including 1 infant)
10 British (including 1 dual UK/South African citizen)
4 German
4 Belgian
3 Filipino
1 Canadian
1 New Zealander
Full passenger manifest (PDF)
"The ongoing criminal investigation enjoys virtually unanimous support from the international community," Koenders said. "MH17 has shown how a shared tragedy can lead to close international cooperation and a determination to see that justice is done."
A 2016 report from the group concluded that MH17 was downed by a Buk missile brought in from Russia and fired from a Ukrainian village under the control of pro-Russian separatists.
Russia, which has repeatedly denied involvement in the downing of the Boeing 777, vetoed a 2015 UN Security Council resolution that would have created an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible.
What happened to MH17? 01:04
2016: Ahead of MH17 report, Russia says if plane shot down, Ukraine pulled trigger
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressed support for the decision, calling it "a critical step in holding to account those responsible for this tragedy."
"The UK offers its full support and cooperation towards the prosecution process, and I urge all other states to do the same as laid out in UN Security Council Resolution 2166," Johnson added.
Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A diver searches for the jet's flight data recorders on July 18, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Coal miners search the crash site.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Wreckage from the Boeing 777 lies on the ground July 18, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
People search for bodies of passengers on July 18, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A woman walks past a body covered with a plastic sheet near the crash site July 18, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Belongings of passengers lie in the grass on July 18, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
People inspect the crash site on Thursday, July 17, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
People walk amid the debris at the site of the crash.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Debris smoulders in a field near the Russian border.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Fire engines arrive at the crash site.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A man stands next to wreckage.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Debris from the crashed jet lies in a field in Ukraine.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Family members of those aboard Flight 17 leave Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A large piece of the plane lies on the ground.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Luggage from the flight sits in a field at the crash site.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A couple walks to the location at Schiphol Airport where more information would be given regarding the flight.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Flight arrivals are listed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Debris from the Boeing 777, pictured on July 17, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A man inspects debris from the plane.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Wreckage from the plane is seen on July 17, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A man talks with security at Schiphol Airport on July 17, 2014.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Wreckage burns in Ukraine.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A man stands next to the wreckage of the airliner.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
An airsickness bag believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.
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Photos: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in Ukraine
Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 sits in a field at the crash site in Hrabove, Ukraine, on September 9, 2014. The Boeing 777 was shot down July 17, 2014, over Ukrainian territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. All 298 people on board were killed. In an October 2015 report, Dutch investigators found the flight was shot down by a warhead that fit a Buk rocket, referring to Russian technology, Dutch Safety Board Chairman Tjibbe Joustra said.
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
