The unfounded accusations aimed at discrediting Russia in the eyes of the international community. This is how the Russian Foreign Ministry commented tonight on the statement by the JIT which investigates the crash of the Malaysian Boeing over Ukraine in the summer of 2014. The team released the names of the suspects in the attack on the plane, including three Russians, but didn't present any strong evidence of their guilt. However, the methods of the team's work were secretive and raised questions from the very beginning. Thus, they decided to get Malaysia engaged in the investigation a few months after it had begun. Russia wasn't engaged at all despite the fact that Moscow has repeatedly shared information.
What did that weird investigation present to the world five years after the tragedy? Our correspondent in Europe Anastasia Popova has the details.
As evidence, outdated CGI and posts from social media, mostly Ukrainian, were presented. The press conference was announced in advance, but they failed to surprise with new documents. Ukrainian journalists had the biggest expectations, there were many of them in the room. Although it's this belligerent country that didn't close its airspace to civilian aircraft in time, as prescribed by the civil aviation code. They promised a sensation, but there's uncertainty in the investigator's words.
Wilbert Paulissen, Chief of the National Police of the Netherlands: "We have started a criminal prosecution of four people. But our investigation doesn't end there. Here are these suspects. Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Leonid Kharchenko".
What these conclusions of the investigation are based on, how these four could be related to each other, what role each of them played — nothing of it was explained at the press conference.
Fred Westerbeke, chief prosecutor: "Despite the fact that none of these people pressed the button themselves, we suspect that they interacted to deploy the missile at the launch site".
In the lobby, we tried to ask follow-up questions.
- Why hasn't the data provided by Russia been taken into account?
Fred Westerbeke, chief prosecutor: That's our procedure. Now it's up to the judge. We thought they were incomplete. We don't need everything. Satellite data are only a small part of the evidence.
- Do you think that satellite data from Ukraine doesn't matter in this case?
- We don't need the data. We have brief data.
The Russian MFA today listed the areas in which Moscow has repeatedly offered to cooperate with the investigation.
“From declassifying data on Russian military equipment and conducting a complex experiment by the Almaz-Antey concern to transmitting primary radar data and documentation proving the Ukrainian identity of the missile that shot down the Malaysian Boeing, as well as high-precision examinations that prove the falsification of footage, which the investigative team relies on in its conclusions. In addition, Russia originally offered to work together. Instead, the international investigators disqualified Moscow from fully participating in the investigative team, giving Russian efforts only a secondary role. At the same time, they made Ukraine a full-fledged member of the investigative team, giving it the opportunity to forge evidence.”
Before the press conference, a closed meeting with the relatives of the victims was held. It was they who provided the first leaks the day before. Today, it became clear that they also have many questions for the investigation.
Roby Ulars, relative of a victim: "I'm sad that besides Ukraine, Russia wasn't included in the investigation team".
Celine Fredricks, relative of a victim: "I want to hear out everyone as long as it's serious. Why not?"
Robert Van Heinengen, relative of a victim: "Russian experts could participate. This hasn't happened yet".
Almost all of the Ukrainian TV channels broadcast the press conference. But here's what happened when we asked our question.
They interrupted us with the tuning table, stopped the translation, and then completely switched to the studio. This is an uncomfortable question. Russia disposed of this type of ammunition long ago.
- How did you manage to disprove the fact that the missile belonged to Ukraine? It's known for certain that it was at the disposal of the Ukrainian armed forces from 1986.
Ukrainian TV didn't broadcast the confused answer.
Wilbert Paulissen, Chief of the National Police of the Netherlands: "We have our own data and our own experts, they presented their findings. We also studied the data provided by Russia. However, this wasn't enough to determine exactly what happened to the missile. We'll explain it later. The lack of evidence doesn't mean that nothing happened because using the radar data, we couldn't see how it was launched".
- Then what did they study if Ukraine hasn't provided even its air traffic controllers' talks yet? Who are these experts who studied the satellite data? What is their qualification?
The commission is confused. Experts need some time to formulate the answer.
Wilbert Paulissen, Chief of the National Police of the Netherlands: "I think that this question is too specific at the moment, we'll talk about it later. According to our rules, opinions of the experts and their names will be published in the report for the judge".
But Dutch television revealed one of the witnesses. This is Ivan Bezyazykov, a former Ukrainian serviceman. It's he who allegedly pointed at four suspects, but what he says in the air makes it doubtful.
Ivan Bezyazykov: "I provided them with materials, but at the same time, there were employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, they then began to use this data against me in court".
Ukraine deliberately leads the investigation astray, the DPR thinks. The Ukrainian missile was launched from the Ukrainian Buk, and the commission has all the information about its movements, but for some reason, it doesn't take it into account.
Daniil Bezsonov, Spokesperson of the DPR's Militia: "It's known for sure that the missile that hit that Boeing was made on December 24th, 1986 at a plant in the Soviet times. After that, it was delivered to the anti-aircraft missile division, which was based then in the Ukrainian Soviet Republic".
As to the prospects, the investigators described them as follows. The appearance of the suspects and their testimony aren't necessary. The case will be tried without them at the criminal court hearings. The press won't be able to ask questions there for sure.
The investigation will continue, but the date of the beginning of the trial is already set. It'll start here, in the Netherlands, on March 9th, 2020. It's still unknown how long the trial will be.
Anastasia Popova, Andrey Grigoriev, Ilya Bernadsky for Vesti from Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
