On May 26, two weeks before prosecutors are due to present their case, a visiting court session is held in the Netherlands at the site of reconstruction of the MH-17 aircraft.
MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit with a missile fired from the territory occupied by pro-Russian rebels during fighting with Ukrainian government troops, international investigators have concluded. All 298 people on board were killed, two thirds of them Dutch nationals. The remains of the plane were recovered from the crash site and reconstructed in a hangar at an air base in the Netherlands, where they were viewed by judges, lawyers, prosecutors and relatives of the victims.
Even though citing the use of Russian missile launcher the Netherlands hold Russia responsible for the incident, the Russian Federation denies its involvement.
So far, the trial hearings, which began in March 2020, have been taken up by procedural issues, with no evidence heard or witnesses called. On June 7, prosecutors are due to make their opening statements in the case.
Earlier, it was asked by the prosecution to inspect the parts of the cabin. According to Dutch and Belgian experts, the ground-to-air missile hit the left side of the aircraft.
The prosecution has brought charges against three Russian citizens and one Ukrainian.