xperts leave MH17 crash site for today
News item | 01-08-2014 | 16:54

The 70 Dutch and Australian experts have concluded their work for today at the MH17 crash site. All the human remains they have found will be taken away from the site.

'We are glad that we can ensure these remains will be transported to the Netherlands now. We hope this will be of some comfort to the relatives. Our people are relieved to finally have been able to get to work on the site,' said Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, head of the mission.

The team is now on its way to a new base of operations. The entire team of experts in the repatriation mission is relocating its base of operations to Soledar, a town in Ukraine situated northwest of the location where flight MH17 crashed two weeks ago. Kharkiv will remain the mission's base for logistics and other services. The Netherlands will continue to be represented in Donetsk, along with the OSCE.

Press statement by Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, head of the repatriation mission
News item | 01-08-2014 | 19:03

First I would like to sincerely thank all the parties who made it possible today for us to have access again to the crash site. This is important for us. We are aware that the parties involved have worked hard to make this happen.

Today the team of 70 Dutch and Australian experts set to work for the first time at the disaster site where flight MH17 crashed two weeks ago.

Under the leadership of the OSCE, the team left Donetsk at 07:20. They took the new, northern route to reach the site, the same route that the scouts used yesterday. The experts arrived at the disaster site at 11:30. After the short speech by the commander in that area, there was a minute of silence. Then the experts set immediately to work.

Today, the experts were able to recover some of the human remains. A number of personal belongings were also found at the disaster site. A search was made of the location that had been scouted out yesterday. This area is located in the small village of Grabovo, near a chicken farm. This is close to where the fuselage of the plane came to rest. Part of this area has been searched. In a moment I’ll point out the exact location with the help of some maps.

The work of the international police officers and experts at the disaster site is governed by certain protocols. These define two distinct roles: searchers, who comb through the area and mark important finds, and recovery workers, who wear protective clothing, including gloves. The other police officers perform tasks like moving recovered material and putting up fences.

In principle, everything found at the disaster site is first photographed. Then it is put into bags by the recovery workers. All bags are labelled and taken away on stretchers. Starting tomorrow, the human remains will be put into refrigerated train cars and taken to Kharkiv, the location of the air lift to the Netherlands.

In Kharkiv a team of Dutch, Australian and Malaysian DVI specialists stand ready to transfer the remains and personal belongings back to the Netherlands, following an initial forensic scan.

In the interest of clarity I would now like to say a bit more about the situation on the ground with the help of several maps, before turning to the subject of the results.

From two o'clock until four o'clock a team of 30 experts conducted a search near a poultry farm covering 5 x 5 metre areas. As has been said, this is a painstaking process. A number of human remains were found. The remains were all recovered and packed separately. They were then taken by the team’s ambulance to Soledar, where they will be stored in a refrigerated carriage.

In addition, many personal belongings were recovered. These too have all been packed separately, collected in large bags and taken away by the team. Everything will now be brought back to the Netherlands as quickly as possible via Kharkiv. We hope that the start of these activities and the recovery of these remains will bring some comfort to the families of the victims.

Over the past 24 hours the mission team has looked for a new location, because the crash site is easier to access from the north. We found this location in Soledar. This base will connect our main location in Kharkiv and the area being searched at the crash site. Soledor is nearly 90 km north-west of the crash site.

The repatriation team will stay in Soledar at the campus that has been made available by the Ukrainian authorities. The campus includes the school, a sports complex and a clinic that we will be able to use. Around 120 members of the repatriation team will sleep there tonight, including the team which worked today at the crash site. A sociomedical medical team will be on hand for the latter group, whose members will be allowed to rest tomorrow. These people have had to do an extremely tough job today and we are proud of their commitment and perseverance. They realise the importance of their work and the responsibility that rests on their shoulders.

As part of the further buildup of the mission, we expect to work tomorrow with four teams of 20 experts each. We will be at full strength on Sunday or Monday with five teams. In the days ahead we may be able to deploy divers and specially trained dogs.

Of course, as I said before, returning to the crash site depends on the outcome of negotiations with the OSCE and the security situation.

Tomorrow, the international police team and the forensic experts will travel from Soledar to the disaster site once again to continue with the search and recovery mission. It is not yet possible to indicate when our work at the site will be complete. This depends on the general circumstances and what we find there. It is expected that things will take at least several more weeks.

As I said, I am grateful to the parties concerned for making it possible to visit the disaster site. I hope we can continue working together in the days ahead, under the leadership of the OSCE.

Update Prime Minister Rutte on the latest air disaster developments
News item | 01-08-2014 | 20:47

On Friday afternoon Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave a press conference on the latest developments surrounding the air disaster in Ukraine. Mr Rutte reported that the team of 70 experts and OSCE staff had managed to reach the crash site this morning and carry out their work. The team have found victims’ remains and removed them from the scene. They will be transported to the Netherlands as soon as possible. In Eindhoven, they will be received with the same ceremony as the victims whose remains have already arrived in the Netherlands.

Experts return to crash site
News item | 03-08-2014 | 11:45

On Sunday morning, the team of Dutch and Australian experts returned to the site where flight MH17 crashed over two weeks ago.

The team will continue its search in a different location as yesterday, near the village Rozsypne.

Press statement by Pieter-Jaap Aalbergsberg, head of the recovery mission
News item | 03-08-2014 | 18:32

Over a hundred international police officers and experts continued their search and recovery work today at the site where flight MH17 crashed two weeks ago. We are very grateful that all parties involved have been working to making this possible.

Today, I visited the new base in Soledar with high representatives of the Australian and the Malaysian authorities. The police officers and experts are receiving support from Ukrainian volunteers. They are working hard to assist us in every way. Immediately after the crash many local civilians provided assistance at the crash site, helping to recover human remains. We are still very grateful for that help. It is heart-warming to see that Ukrainians are still actively helping us more than two weeks after the crash.

Our own people are also firmly committed to this mission. There are one hundred team members in Soledar at any given time. There is a rotation schedule in place for them. Every day, fifty well rested colleagues arrive from Kharkiv and fifty others leave to go to Kharkiv to recuperate. This also happened today. We trust that roster will enable the police officers and experts to stay sharp so that they can continue their physically and psychologically taxing work.

Today the Australian and Malaysian representatives and I consulted with Commander Kees Kuijs, who is leading the field operations. We discussed the local situation, the activities of the mission and its progress. We also spoke about the experiences of the police and the experts in the field.

Today, I also travelled to Kharkiv. That is where the forensics specialists carry out the primary forensic check of the recovered remains and personal belongings. They do everything in their power to ensure that the human remains and personal belongings can be transferred to the Netherlands as soon as possible. The first flight leaves tomorrow. This flight will transport what was recovered on Friday and Saturday, and the DNA material that was stored in a mortuary in Donetsk.

We expect that there will be more flights to the Netherlands in the near future. We realise that relatives have to wait a long time before they receive any confirmation. We hope that the knowledge that we are doing everything we can here in Ukraine will bring them some comfort.

Today a group of 109 people worked in a field north of the village of Rozsypne. The team included 54 Dutch and 34 Australian forensic specialists, 88 in total. They searched for almost six hours in a field containing pieces of wreckage. The location is about 3.5 kilometres west of the farm where the recovery work has been done over the last two days.

With the help of some maps, I shall now indicate where the search has been performed.

Conditions are tough for the police officers and experts, especially the heat in the open field. They managed to search an area of about six square kilometres. Personal belongings of the victims were found and recovered. No human remains were found.

Personal belongings were also recovered today in Torez, south of the crash site. Luggage of the victims was being stored in a train wagon placed there a while ago. Thanks to the negotiations performed by the OSCE, we succeeded today to reach the wagon. The seal on the wagon was still intact and the suitcases, bags and cameras inside seemed untouched. The personal belongings were taken to Soledar. From there, they will be transferred to Kharkiv.

We hope to get to the crash site again tomorrow, but that will depend on the security situation. For the first time, our Malaysian colleagues will be joining our team in the search. The team aims to search two fields in the western part of the crash site. We remain fully motivated to continue the search in the coming days.

MH17 air disaster: where did the mission carry out its search?
News item | 09-08-2014 | 18:22

Between 1 and 6 August the repatriation mission worked at the MH17 crash site, with the aim of recovering as many human remains and personal belongings as possible and returning them to the Netherlands.

Where did the mission carry out its search?
The search area was approximately 60 km2. The Dutch and Australian specialists began by making a thorough analysis to determine which locations to search first, using all relevant knowledge and resources available to them, including satellite images and a Geographic Information System (GIS). The search areas were selected on the basis of this analysis, as well as the accessibility and safety of the locations. In deciding which areas to search next, the experts also took into account the result of previous days’ searches.

Search work was carried out for a total of 20 hours over six days. Not all of the chosen areas were searched, because in some cases the experts were not granted access or the security risks were too great. Some of the areas had also been completely burnt out. Some 800 Ukrainians – individuals who are generally deployed in response to local disasters and other incidents, led by a colonel from the medical corps – had previously recovered human remains and personal belongings.

The mission focused specifically on areas that it suspected had not yet been searched – or fully searched – by the Ukrainians. Local sources confirm that the Ukrainians had already recovered remains and personal belongings from inaccessible areas and areas to which the mission was not granted access. This work was carried out in a more careful and professional manner than was initially assumed. No search was conducted in the North-West cluster (see map) because this was regarded as too dangerous. The experts’ assessment was that it was unlikely that remains would be found there, partly in view of the locations where bodies had previously been found.

How was the search conducted?
The areas were searched by teams of experts aided by tracker dogs. When the experts made a find, it was marked and then handled in accordance with the established procedures. Personal belongings were taken if they were relevant for identification purposes (based on forensic standards) or considered to be of possible sentimental value to the next of kin. For example, cuddly toys were taken, but any magazines or items of clothing found strewn in the area were not.

What was the result of the search?
Human remains and personal belongings were found during the search period. No complete bodies were found. There were no further finds in areas from which the local population had already recovered bodies. In the areas searched, personal belongings and open luggage were found, from which items had been removed by unknown parties. The luggage and items in the wagon (which was located in Torez) seemed to have been untouched; the same applies to most of the items returned by Ukrainians.

The local population was very helpful. On 6 August the mission distributed flyers to local residents asking them to hand over any personal belongings and share any information that they might still have. A few people handed over belongings in response to this. The forensic and disaster identification experts from the international team that was investigating in the area believe there is not a substantial chance of finding complete bodies or larger body parts in the area. DNA traces can be secured even after a longer period of time has passed.

What happens now?
The search has been suspended, but not yet completed. A small group of experts is staying behind in Kyiv and Kharkiv to ensure that any items found or returned by the local population in the period ahead are brought back to the Netherlands. Those remaining behind must also ensure that work can be resumed quickly as soon as the security situation permits.

10-08-2014
Map MH17 air disaster

Foreign minister Frans Timmermans regrets comment
News item | 09-10-2014 | 15:35

Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans regrets that the families of the victims of flight MH17 were confronted with new information before being personally informed of the matter. ‘The MH17 disaster struck close to my heart,’ said Mr Timmermans on Thursday in response to a comment he made on the television programme Pauw. ‘The next of kin have my profound sympathy. The last thing I want to do is worsen their pain in any way. I shouldn’t have said what I said.’

Mr Timmermans said in the interview that an oxygen mask had been found on one of the victims. The next of kin of the passenger in question were notified at the time. The information had not been made public because no conclusions of any kind can be drawn from the discovery and further investigation is necessary.

The victim in question is not a Dutch national. All next of kin have now been informed of the matter. The House of Representatives will be notified by letter as soon as possible.

Many personal possessions collected at the site of the MH17 disaster
News item | 13-10-2014 | 12:49

More than 40 employees of the local Ukranian State Emergency Services (SES) including the local fire brigade, collected personal possessions of the victims of flight MH17 in Eastern Ukraine on Monday. They collected the possessions which could actually mean something for the surviving relatives, such as clothing, suitcases, post, passports, credit cards, jewelry, fluffy toys and photographs. That was announced by Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, Head of the repatriation mission.

‘Today's action was successful. The SES succeeded in collecting 9 cubic metres' worth of personal possessions from the disaster area. We're grateful to them for this’, says Aalbersberg. The Netherlands has always maintained that it would do its utmost to recover as many of the personal possessions as possible. ‘It's good to see that working in this way also achieves results’, says Aalbersberg.

The day progressed without any incidents: at about midday shots were fired in proximity to the disaster area. ‘That just goes to show that the repatriation mission still cannot be resumed’, says Aalbersberg. The safety was constantly being monitored by the OSCE.

The emergency responders and the fire brigade have fetched stuff at the collection points at Roszypne and Grabovo and in the vicinity of these villages. The situation was not safe enough to also collect personal possessions in Petropavlivka.

Aside from the local emergency services, the OSCE, the organisation who is negotiating on behalf of the Netherlands with the separatists, also went along to the disaster area. In addition, there was an operational team of 4 Dutch aides.

The collected items are being brought to Kharkov via Donetsk. That is expected to take place tomorrow. In Kharkov the experts will carry out an initial forensic check. Eight extra experts will be flown in to make this possible. After that the personal possessions will be transferred to the Netherlands as soon as possible.

Taking the safety situation in the area into consideration, the SES will not continue collecting in the area tomorrow. The situation is evaluated from day to day to see whether and when another opportunity arises.

Trucks with personal belongings arrive in Kharkov
News item | 15-10-2014 | 12:17

Two trucks with belongings of victims of flight MH17 arrived in the East Ukrainian city of Kharkov on Tuesday. The belongings comprise nine cubic metres of things collected from the crash site on Monday by the local disaster relief service SES.

The belongings will first be subjected to forensic examination in Kharkov. This is expected to be done on Wednesday. Eight additional experts have been flown in for this process. After this initial examination, the items will be flown to the Netherlands as soon as possible. It is not yet known exactly when this will take place.

On Monday, the local relief workers found, among other things, clothes, suitcases, mail, passports, credit cards, jewellery, cuddly toys and photos. ‘These are things that have emotional value for the next-of-kin. We are therefore delighted to have been able to collect these personal belongings’, commented the leader of the repatriation mission, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg.

The four Dutch citizens who were present for the collecting of the items yesterday have returned to Kharkov. Aalbersberg hopes that the local relief workers will be able to enter the disaster area again quickly to gather more personal belongings. ‘At the same time, I am realistic: the area is unsafe. Collecting items around Roszypne and Grabovo was the most that could be done yesterday.’

The situation is being reviewed on a daily basis to see if and when the possibility arises again to go to the crash site.

Letter to the House of Representatives in response to questions about the MH17 air disaster
Letter of 27 October 2014 from the Minister of Security and Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence to the House of Representatives answering questions relating to the MH17 air disaster.Скачать

MH17 operation salvages remains close to the crash site
News item | 02-02-2015 | 14:50

A small team of military and police personnel today visited the village of Grabovo near the crash site for the MH17 repatriation mission. Together with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and local emergency services, team members salvaged a small quantity of the victims' remains. They also took away personal belongings and some wreckage found by residents during the preceding period.

The team maintains good contacts with the Mayor of Grabovo. Team members talked to him on the ground about the situation. Unrest continues in the area of the crash site of flight MH17. If the security situation and weather conditions permit, the team will visit other villages in the vicinity of the crash site tomorrow, also under the leadership of the OSCE and local emergency services.

The remains are expected to arrive at the Eindhoven Airbase on Saturday, 7 February. The same ceremonial procedure will be observed as for previous returns.

MH17 team discusses situation around crash site
News item | 03-02-2015 | 09:17

A small team consisting of Ministry of Defence and police personnel visited the mayors of Rozsypne and Petropavlivka in Ukraine today. Together with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and local emergency services they discussed the situation around the MH17 crash site.

There are still pieces of wreckage in the area that cannot be accessed by the members of the MH17 repatriation mission due to the security situation. The mayors agreed to arrange to have the pieces of wreckage retrieved and stored over the coming period. The material will then be collected by the team at a later date.

Soil analysis
At the ‘burned sites’ (fenced-off crash areas) the team took soil samples for further examination in the Netherlands. The results can be used by the members of the repatriation mission during their search for remains once the mission has been resumed. The search will resume once the ground is no longer frozen and the security situation allows it.

The Dutch team will take the materials it collected yesterday to Charkov tomorrow. This includes human remains, personal possessions and pieces of wreckage. The remains will be received at Eindhoven Air Base on Saturday following a ceremonial protocol.

Mission leader to Ukraine
Mission leader Pieter Jaap Aalbersberg will travel to Ukraine on Wednesday to talk about the aftermath of the plane crash with, amongst others, the national authorities and the Malaysian and Australian ambassadors. Subsequently Aalbersberg will visit Charkov to strengthen the ties with regional representatives.

Team to return to MH17 crash site
News item | 20-03-2015 | 11:40

A Dutch team of 12 defence and police personnel left for Ukraine today. The team will stay there until 28 March, making preparations for resuming the Dutch repatriation mission in April. They will be joined by a staff member from the Dutch Safety Board.

The team will assess the situation in the fire-ravaged areas that have been cordoned off, and draw up a final plan for the mission in April.

The defence and police personnel will also visit an area northwest of Petropavlivka, to gauge the situation there. That area has not yet been assessed by a Dutch team due to the security situation. The mayor of Petropavlivka has had pieces of the wreckage collected over the past few months, which will be picked up by the Dutch team and stored in Kharkiv for the time being.

The team's activities will depend on the local security situation and the weather conditions.

Consultation with the authorities
The team will work in consultation with the authorities in Kharkiv and in the villages affected by the disaster. It will also consult with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) and the monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Donetsk. The head of the repatriation mission, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, will visit Kyiv on 20 March with military adviser Air Commodore Theo ten Haaf. While in Kyiv, Mr Aalbersberg will meet with the Ukrainian authorities and the OSCE. He will also speak with delegates from Malaysia and Australia, countries which, like the Netherlands, were severely affected by the disaster.

Defence News Summary
News item | 25-03-2015 | 17:54

A 12-man Dutch team made up of Ministry of Defence and police officials arrived in Ukraine on 20 March. A summary of Defence news for the week of 16-22 March.

Team returns to MH17 crash site
The team will remain at the crash site in Ukraine until 28 March. The team is there to prepare the way for the repatriation mission that will be resumed in April. An official from the Dutch Safety Board accompanied the team.

Mortal remains from MH17 to Schiphol
News item | 25-09-2015 | 17:07

A Dutch team is in the Ukraine for the first hand-over of mortal remains and personal belongings of MH17 victims found after 1 May 2015. The team of eight persons from Defence, the police and Foreign Affairs will also collect remains of the aircraft.

The presumed mortal remains and the material were found in the vicinity of the ‘burned site’ near Hrabove, where flight MH17 came down. The mayors of the surrounding districts collected everything and secured their safety over the past few months. This had also been agreed when the repatriation mission was wound up. Inhabitants of the villages around the disaster area can continue to hand in items at certain points.

The Dutch team is now supervising the proper hand-over of mortal remains, personal property and any available pieces of wreckage. The Dutch embassy in Kiev will take care of transport to Kharkiv. From Kharkiv these items will come to the Netherlands. The remains of the MH17 aircraft will be handed over to the Research Council for Security and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Changed ceremony
Since the identification process has been largely completed, the ceremonial formalities with which the mortal remains were to be received in the Netherlands have been changed. Staff from the National Forensic Investigation Team will bring the mortal remains on a scheduled flight to Schiphol. Here a formal moment of reflection will be held. Members of the Royal Netherlands Military Police will take care at Schiphol of an appropriate ceremonial reception. That will take place out of sight of the media. The families of the 2 victims who have not yet been identified have been invited to attend this ceremony.

JIT countries choose the Netherlands for MH17 crash prosecution
News item | 05-07-2017 | 17:01

The prosecution of suspects in the downing of flight MH17 can take place in the Netherlands. This is the collective decision of the countries whose investigative authorities together make up the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) - Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands. The criminal investigation being carried out by the JIT is still in progress. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) will take appropriate decisions regarding criminal prosecution at the appropriate time. The national proceedings in the Netherlands will be rooted in close and continued international cooperation and support. The choice of the Dutch legal system is an important step towards trying the suspects in the downing of flight MH17.

This was written in a letter from Minister Blok of Security and Justice and Minister Koenders of Foreign Affairs, presented to the House of Representatives today. After the Russian Federation’s veto of a UN-mandated tribunal in a UN Security Council meeting on 29 July 2015, the JIT countries looked into other possibilities for prosecution and trial. Two options were then considered in further legal detail, the establishment of a new international tribunal, or national proceedings conducted in and by one of the JIT countries.

Further steps
The OM recently informed the government that the JIT's criminal investigation requires a decision regarding the method of prosecution and trial. To be able to take further steps in the criminal investigation, clarity is needed as to the legal framework in which the proceedings will take place.

The investigation into those responsible for the downing of flight MH17 is a long and drawn-out task in which progress is made one step at a time. Extensive research is being conducted to identify individuals who can be held responsible. It is crucial that the JIT be able to take the subsequent steps in the investigation independently and without political interference in order to maximise the chance of a trial.

All JIT countries have expressed their full confidence in the Dutch legal system. The OM issued a recommendation on the two prosecution options under consideration. Based on this overall picture, the Dutch government also expressed its preference for national prosecution in the Netherlands. The Dutch legal system has an excellent international reputation. Trials can take place here within established and proven frameworks. Surviving relatives in the Netherlands are also well looked after within the process.

International cooperation
National prosecution in the Netherlands will still require the necessary preparations. For instance, a treaty with Ukraine is needed in order to arrange the transfer of criminal proceedings. This will allow the perpetrators to be tried on behalf of all victims, and not only those who were Dutch citizens. The treaty will be signed on 7 July and will be presented along with the implementing legislation to the House of Representatives for consideration as soon as possible. Furthermore, the close cooperation of the JIT partners is expected to be endorsed this year through the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) by all countries involved, in which they will make a long-term political and financial commitment to the prosecution efforts.

MH17: The Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible
News item | 25-05-2018 | 10:37
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpe … sprakelijk
The Netherlands and Australia hold Russia responsible for its part in the downing of flight MH17. The government took a decision on this matter, on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok. Our two countries have informed Russia of their decision.
Rusland verantwoordelijk
Het JIT concludeerde dat de BUK-raket die de MH17 neerhaalde, van een onderdeel van het Russische leger was. Dat maakte het JIT in mei 2018 bekend. Voor Nederland en Australië staat vast dat Rusland verantwoordelijk is voor de inzet van dit wapensysteem. En dat Rusland daarmee het internationale recht heeft geschonden.
‘The downing of flight MH17 caused unimaginable suffering,’ said Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok. ‘The government has always said that the truth surrounding the MH17 disaster had to be brought to light and that justice must be achieved for the victims and their next of kin. The Netherlands has the support of the international community in this respect. On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17. The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable.’

State responsibility comes into play when states fail to uphold the provisions of international law. A state can then be held responsible for breaching one or more of those provisions. This is the legal avenue that the Netherlands and Australia have now chosen to pursue. Both countries hold Russia responsible for its part in the downing of flight MH17.

Holding a state responsible is a complex legal process, and there are several ways to do this. The Netherlands and Australia today asked Russia to enter into talks aimed at finding a solution that would do justice to the tremendous suffering and damage caused by the downing of MH17. A possible next step is to present the case to an international court or organisation for their judgment.

Holding Russia accountable for its part in the downing of flight MH17 on the basis of international law is a course of action that is separate from the criminal investigation and any prosecution and trial of the perpetrators of the downing of flight MH17. The investigation by the JIT continues, and it is up to the Public Prosecution Service to decide if and when individuals will be identified as suspects and indicted.

‘We call on Russia to accept its responsibility and cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of flight MH17 and their next of kin,’ said the minister.

Письмо в парламент об ответственности государства в отношении MH17
Министр Блок (БЖ) информирует Палату представителей о решении о государственной ответственности MH17 Российской Федерации.

Записка об ответственности государства в отношении MH17
Австралия и Нидерланды возлагают на Российскую Федерацию ответственность за крушение рейса MH17 17 июля 2014 года. Россия была проинформирована об этом решении.

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … ruari-2020
De Minister van Justitie en Veiligheid,
Ferd Grapperhaus

Mede namens de minister van Buitenlandse Zaken informeer ik hierbij uw Kamer
over de laatste stand van zaken in het MH17-dossier.
Voorbereiding van het strafproces
Op 9 maart 2020 om tien uur in de ochtend gaat het strafproces inzake MH17 van
start. Hierbij staan drie verdachten met de Russische nationaliteit en één
verdachte met de Oekraïense nationaliteit terecht voor hun rol bij het neerhalen
van vlucht MH17. Het proces wordt gevoerd volgens Nederlands strafprocesrecht
door de Rechtbank Den Haag. De Rechtbank houdt hiervoor zitting in de extra
beveiligde rechtbank op het Justitieel Complex Schiphol (JCS). JCS beschikt over
de nodige faciliteiten om een proces van deze omvang te laten plaatsvinden. Niet
alle nabestaanden, media en overige geïnteresseerden, waaronder internationale
vertegenwoordigers kunnen echter een plek krijgen in de zittingszaal. Aan
nabestaanden wordt de mogelijkheid geboden om in besloten kring, samen met
andere nabestaanden en onder begeleiding en toelichting van het OM,
familierechercheurs en Slachtofferhulp Nederland de zittingen door middel van
een live videoverbinding bij te wonen. Dit kan op een zogenoemde satellietlocatie.
Ook heeft de rechtbank Den Haag aangegeven zo veel mogelijk mensen
wereldwijd in de gelegenheid te willen stellen het proces te volgen. Om die reden
is ervoor gekozen het hele proces via een live stream in beeld te brengen. Verder
heeft de Rechtbank direct naast JCS een perscentrum ingericht met een live
videoverbinding naar de zittingszaal en voldoende werkplekken voor journalisten
van over de hele wereld. De overige drie zittingszalen op JCS zijn beschikbaar
voor geïnteresseerden om de zitting via de live videoverbinding met de
zittingszaal bij te wonen.
Het bijwonen via een live videoverbinding op de satellietlocatie, de andere
zittingszalen op JCS en in het perscentrum houdt in dat de aanwezigen alle zes de
cameraposities in de zittingszaal kunnen zien en zelf kunnen kiezen welk beeld ze
bekijken. Bij de livestream wordt door de regie een keuze gemaakt voor één van
de zes cameraposities.
Zorg voor nabestaanden
Zoals in januari 2019 aan uw Kamer is gemeld (Kamerstukken II 2018/19, 33
997, nr. 130) hebben nabestaanden in een Nederlands strafproces een bijzondere
positie met specifieke rechten. Het Openbaar Ministerie is verantwoordelijk voor
het informeren van de nabestaanden over het proces en de positie en rechten van
de nabestaanden daarin. De start van het strafproces zal voor veel nabestaanden
ongetwijfeld veel emoties met zich meebrengen. De betrokken organisaties
hebben er alles aan gedaan om de nabestaanden in Nederland en daarbuiten, hier
zo goed mogelijk op voor te bereiden en hierbij te begeleiden.
Hiertoe heeft het OM in september 2019 een voorlichtingsbijeenkomst
georganiseerd. De informatie die deze dag is gedeeld met de aanwezige
nabestaanden, is diezelfde dag met alle Nederlandse en buitenlandse
nabestaanden gedeeld. Daarnaast heeft een groot aantal nabestaanden in het
najaar een gesprek gehad met een officier van justitie over de impact van het
neerhalen van vlucht MH17. Tevens heeft het OM aan alle landen met
slachtoffers, de Grieving Nations, aangeboden om met hun nabestaanden te
spreken. Daar is ook gebruik van gemaakt, zo zijn de slachtofferofficier MH17,
twee familierechercheurs en een vertegenwoordiger van Slachtofferhulp
Nederland op uitnodiging afgereisd naar Australië en het Verenigd Koninkrijk
alwaar informatiebijeenkomsten met nabestaanden hebben plaatsgevonden.
Aanwezigheid van de verdachten
Een Nederlands advocatenkantoor zal één van de Russische verdachten bijstaan.
Als een advocaat bepaaldelijk gemachtigd is door de verdachte om hem te
vertegenwoordigen in het strafproces, dan is sprake van een berechting in
aanwezigheid, ondanks dat de verdachte niet zelf aanwezig is in de rechtszaal.
Voor de verdachten die niet aanwezig zijn in de rechtszaal en die geen advocaat
hebben gemachtigd om hen te vertegenwoordigen, zal de rechtbank moeten
beoordelen of het strafproces niettemin kan doorgaan, in welk geval de
verdachten bij verstek worden berecht.
Brief van de Russische Federatie over overdracht van strafvervolging
Op 17 oktober 2019 ontving het Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid een brief van
de Russische autoriteiten. In de brief vragen de Russische autoriteiten of
Nederland wil overwegen de strafvervolging van de drie Russische verdachten aan
Rusland over te dragen. Hierop is door de Minister van Justitie en Veiligheid
geantwoord dat de overdracht van strafvervolging ten aanzien van de drie
Russische verdachten door de Nederlandse autoriteiten geen optie is en niet in
overweging is genomen. In het kader van het voorkomen van straffeloosheid is
daarbij wel aan de Russische autoriteiten gevraagd of zij bereid zijn om in overleg
de mogelijkheden te onderzoeken om een opgelegd vonnis aan de Russische
autoriteiten over te dragen en eventuele straffen in Rusland tot uitvoering te laten
brengen.
Internationale inbedding van het strafproces
Het is een gezamenlijk besluit van de JIT-landen dat een vervolging en het
strafproces in Nederland kan plaatsvinden, ingebed in internationale
samenwerking en steun. In dat kader zijn door de landen van het Joint
Investigation Team (JIT) zowel een politiek als financieel Memorandum of
Understanding ondertekend (Kamerstuk 33 997, nr. 108 en Kamerstuk 33 997,
nr. 131). Tijdens de Algemene Vergadering van de Verenigde Naties in september
2019 is door de Ministers van Buitenlandse Zaken de JIT-samenwerking opnieuw
herbevestigd.
De overige grieving nations, belangrijke partnerlanden en internationale
organisaties worden met regelmaat actief geïnformeerd over de ontwikkelingen
rondom de aanvang van het strafproces en zijn gewezen op de mogelijkheden om
het proces te kunnen volgen. Voor internationale vertegenwoordigers is een
beperkt aantal plaatsen beschikbaar om het proces te kunnen bijwonen, zodat
ook de buitenlandse nabestaanden die niet aanwezig kunnen zijn bij het proces
vertegenwoordigd zijn.
Nederland vraagt, waar mogelijk samen met andere JIT-partners, in
internationaal verband voortdurend en actief aandacht en steun voor het belang
van waarheidsvinding en gerechtigheid voor de slachtoffers en de nabestaanden
en rekenschap voor de daders van het neerhalen van vlucht MH17. Zoals aan uw
Kamer gemeld in de Ruslandbrief (Kamerstuk 35 373, nr. 1) blijft het kabinet in
dat kader ook Rusland voortdurend oproepen volledige medewerking te verlenen
aan het strafrechtelijk onderzoek, in lijn met VN-Resolutie 2166 en vraagt
hiervoor ook actief steun aan internationale partners. Het mobiliseren en
behouden van internationale steun is en blijft voor het kabinet prioriteit. Ook in
aanloop naar het strafproces dat aanvangt op 9 maart aanstaande.

Voortzetting van het strafrechtelijk onderzoek door het Joint
Investigation Team (JIT)
Getuigenoproep
Parallel aan het onderzoek ter terechtzitting naar de rol van de vier verdachten bij
het neerhalen van vlucht MH17 gaat het strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar de
mogelijke rol van andere personen gewoon door. Zoals het JIT in haar
persconferentie op 19 juni 2019 heeft aangegeven, wordt verder onderzoek
gedaan naar de opdrachtgevers in de bestuurlijke en militaire hiërarchie en
andere betrokkenen. In het kader van het onderzoek heeft het JIT op 14
november 2019 een nieuwe getuigenoproep gedaan met als doel om nieuwe
informatie te verzamelen.

1/05/2020
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … 17-dossier
В исполнение запроса депутатов после дебатов осенью прошлого года
Kamerbrief diverse onderwerpen over MH17 dossier
Minister Blok informeert de Tweede Kamer over diverse onderwerpen inzake MH17 dossier.

Исследование вопроса о закрытии ВП над Украиной и у ее границ со стороны РФ (???)

The Flight Safety Foundation

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … sluit-mh17
Министр Грапперхаус (JenV) информирует Палату представителей о дополнительном решении по запросу в соответствии с Законом об открытом правительстве (Wob) по MH17. Это несколько отрывков из официального отчета европейской авиационной конференции. Дом ранее получил этот документ для конфиденциальной проверки.
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binaries/r … t-mh17.pdf

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … -nederland
Решение о восстановлении по возражению на основании решения Центрального суда Нидерландов
Министр юстиции и безопасности принял новое решение по возражениям 2 сентября 2021 года в ответ на постановление Центрального суда Нидерландовот 20 июля 2021 года со ссылкой 19/2205. Этим решением постановление суда было исполнено, и было принято новое решение о раскрытии на основе Wob информации по ряду вопросов, касающихся авиакатастрофы MH17.
Скачать 'Решение о взыскании MH17 после окончательного вердикта'

en dat de staat waarmee onderhandeld werd - Oekraïne - zelf ook op de betreffende vergadering aanwezig was. De passage onderaan pagina 2 luidt als
volgt:

"De Oekraïne is een belangrijke regio voor Europese airlines omdat met name de long-haul vluchten vanuit Europa naar Azië over deze regio vliegen. De Cie. hoopt de overeenkomst met de Oekraine tijdens de volgende transportraad te kunnen ondertekenen en finaliseren."

Vervolgens wordt op pagina 3 van document 6 verslag gedaan van de bespreking van een door Oekraïne ingebracht statement betreffende de Simferopol Flight Information Region (het vluchtinformatiegebied boven de Krim). De definitieve versie van dit statement, zoals die na de vergadering van ECAC van 6 mei 2014 is vastgesteld, is door de toenmalige Staatssecretaris van Infrastructuur en Milieu openbaar gemaakt in het Wob-besluit van 27 mei 2015 met kenmerk IenM/BSK- 2015/104245.1 Voor uw gemak heb ik de reeds eerder openbaar gemaakte definitieve versie van het statement nogmaals bij dit besluit gevoegd.
De rechtbank is van oordeel dat document 6 een voornamelijk feitelijke weergave bevat van de bespreking van het statement, zodat geen sprake is van persoonlijke beleidsopvattingen. Ik volg op dit punt de uitspraak. Ook ziet de rechtbank niet in dat het belang van de internationale betrekkingen zich in dit geval verzet tegen openbaarmaking van de passages op pagina 3. Hoewel in de betreffende passages de inbreng van andere staten en internationale organisaties is opgenomen, acht ik in dit verband de overwegingen in het hiervoor genoemde besluit van de toenmalige Staatssecretaris van Infrastructuur en Milieu van belang. Daaruit blijkt dat de Oekraīense autoriteiten zijn geconsulteerd en hebben aangegeven geen bezwaar te hebben tegen openbaarmaking van de documenten die door hen tijdens de vergaderingen zijn ingebracht. Gelet daarop ga ik ervan uit dat de internationale betrekkingen evenmin worden geschaad door openbaarmaking van de toelichting die Oekraïne tijdens de vergadering op het statement heeft gegeven, alsmede van de toelichting op de inspanningen die op dat moment werden geleverd om de luchtvaartveiligheid in het vluchtinformatiegebied boven de Krim te verbeteren. Voor de goede orde vermeld ik daar nog bij dat het besproken agendapunt uitsluitend betrekking had op het vluchtinformatiegebied boven de Krim en niet op het Oekraïense luchtruim als geheel. Op pagina 3 van document 6 is de bespreking van het statement over de Simferopol Flight Information Region als volgt weergegeven:
"Oekraïne neemt het woord. Er volgt een uitgebreid betoog over de huidige politieke situatie in het land. Er wordt gesproken over de Russische agressie en een draft statement uitgedeeld met het verzoek om als ECAC DGCA's achter dit statement te gaan staan (bijgevoegd als bijlage 1). Buitenlandse Zaken geeft per email akkoord dat NL ermee in kan stemmen. Er zijn op luchtvaartgebied met name problemen in het luchtruim omdat de Russen een aantal luchtverkeersleidingdiensten hebben overgenomen in de Oekraïne door andere radiofrequenties in te stellen. De Oekraïne gaat ook in op verschillende internationale ICAO regelgeving die de Russen op Oekraïens grondgebied met voeten hebben getreden. De territoriale integriteit van de Oekraïne is op vele momenten en op vele wijzen aangetast door de Russische
Het Wob-besluit is tevens te vinden via het webarchief van de rijksoverheid: Archiefweb -
Rijksoverheid.
Pagina 3 van 5

BEROEPSCLAUSULE U kunt tegen dit besluit beroep instellen bij de afdeling bestuursrecht van de rechtbank Midden-Nederland, Postbus 16005, 3500 DA Utrecht. Het beroepschrift moet binnen zes weken na de dag waarop de beschikking u is toegezonden door de rechtbank zijn ontvangen. U kunt ook digitaal beroep instellen bij genoemde rechtbank via http: //loket.rechtspraak.nl/bestuursrecht. Daarvoor moet u wel beschikken over een elektronische handtekening (DigiD). Kijk op de genoemde site voor de precieze voorwaarden.
Directie Wetgeving en Juridische Zaken Sector Juridische Zaken en Wetgevingsbeleid
Datum 2 september 2021 Ons kenmerk 3476805
Het beroepschrift moet op grond van artikel 6:5 van de Algemene wet bestuursrecht zijn ondertekend en bevat ten minste de naam en het adres van de indiener, de dagtekening, de omschrijving van het besluit waartegen het beroep is gericht, zo mogelijk een afschrift van dit besluit, en de gronden waarop het beroepschrift rust. Van de indiener van het beroepschrift wordt griffierecht geheven door de griffier van de rechtbank. Nadere informatie over de hoogte van het griffierecht en de wijze van betalen wordt door de griffie van de rechtbank verstrekt.

По итогу принято решение
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binaries/rijksoverheid/documenten/wob-verzoeken/2021/09/02/herstelbesluit-op-bezwaar-naar-aanleiding-van-uitspraak-van-de-rechtbank-midden-nederland/Statement Oekrane inzake Simferopol FIR (1).pdf

TK MH17 - Veiligheid luchtruim Oekraïne 
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … m-oekraine

Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer
der Staten-Generaal
Postbus 20018
2500 EA DEN HAAG
Datum 17 november 2021
Onderwerp MH17 - Veiligheid luchtruim Oekraïne
Op 2 september 2021 is in een procedure op grond van de Wet Openbaarheid Bestuur (Wob) informatie met betrekking tot MH17 vrijgegeven.¹ Naar aanleiding van het op basis hiervan gepubliceerde artikel² , heeft uw Kamer mij verzocht om een brief. Mede namens de ministers van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat en Buitenlandse Zaken geef ik hierbij gehoor aan dat verzoek.
In tegenstelling tot wat in het nieuwsbericht van RTL Nieuws van 25 september jl. wordt gesuggereerd, is het statement van Oekraïne en de in het kader van het Wob-besluit vrijgegeven informatie niet nieuw. Ook de Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid concludeert dat de informatie die het hier betreft betrekking had op de Krim en de Zwarte Zee; deze informatie was destijds al bij de Onderzoeksraad bekend en het betreft hier derhalve geen nieuwe informatie (zie in bijlage de brief van de OVV hierover).
De vrijgegeven informatie is in lijn met de reeks van waarschuwingen en maatregelen voor de internationale burgerluchtvaart in NOTAMs³ , ICAO State Letter, EUROCONTROL waarschuwing en Safety Information Bulletin van de European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) die in de twee maanden voorafgaand aan het statement zijn genomen en gepubliceerd. De Onderzoeksraad heeft deze maatregelen uitgebreid beschreven in hoofdstuk 5.2 van het MH17 Crash rapport van 2015.
Gelet op de tragische gebeurtenis rond vlucht MH17, begrijp ik de wens van de Kamer om het overzicht te hebben van alle informatie die mogelijk hiermee verband kan houden. Met deze brief hoop ik duidelijk te maken dat alle relevante informatie met betrekking tot de ECAC-vergadering van 6 mei 2014 is verstrekt en wanneer dit is gebeurd.
Toelichting op openbaar gemaakte passages
De passages die openbaar gemaakt zijn naar aanleiding van de uitspraak van de rechtbank zijn afkomstig uit een persoonlijk verslag van een ambtenaar die aanwezig was bij een vergadering van de European Civil Aviation Conference

¹ https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten … -nederland
² https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederla … eksverslag
³ Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

was ook bij mijn departement aangetroffen. Ook JenV heeft dit verslag geweigerd
op dezelfde gronden als het Wob-besluit van IenM in 2015. Tegen het besluit van
JenV is bezwaar en vervolgens beroep ingesteld. De beroepsprocedure tegen het
JenV besluit was dus de eerste gelegenheid waarbij een rechter de weigering tot
openbaarmaking heeft getoetst.
Ten aanzien van de desbetreffende passage – een weergave van de bespreking
van het agendapunt - was de rechter van oordeel dat de informatie in die passage
zo feitelijk van aard was, dat geen sprake is van persoonlijke beleidsopvattingen.
Voor dergelijke passages is geen weigering op grond van artikel 11 van de Wob
mogelijk. Dit sluit overigens aan bij de nieuwe lijn van het kabinet dat kale feiten
zoveel mogelijk worden verstrekt (en worden onderscheiden van persoonlijke
beleidsopvattingen).
Ook zag de rechter geen aanleiding om te veronderstellen dat de internationale
betrekkingen geschaad zouden worden door openbaarmaking van deze specifieke
passages. Daarbij heeft de rechter meegewogen dat in elk geval Oekraïne al had
aangegeven in te stemmen met openbaarmaking van de bij die vergadering
verstrekte documenten (Statement Oekraïne). Bij het Wob-besluit van IenM in
2015 was het definitieve statement van Oekraïne openbaar gemaakt.
De rechtbank heeft bepaald dat de betreffende passages wel openbaar gemaakt
moeten worden. Hieraan heb ik gehoor gegeven. Ik heb uw Kamer hierover bij
brief van 2 september jl. geïnformeerd.⁵
Tijdlijn persoonlijk verslag ECAC-overleg, 6 mei 2014
Op uw verzoek wordt hieronder een tijdlijn geschetst van wat er met het
persoonlijke verslag is gebeurd:
 6 mei 2014: 142e ECAC-vergadering van de directeuren-generaal voor de
burgerluchtvaart.
 9 mei 2014: het persoonlijke verslag van de vergadering wordt binnen het
toenmalige Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu (IenM) en met het
Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (BZ) en de NCTV gedeeld.
Verslagen van dergelijke vergaderingen ontvangt de NCTV met enige
regelmaat, aangezien ‘aviation security’ doorgaans een vast agendapunt is.
In dit geval was dat ook aan de orde. Met de openbaar gemaakte passages
uit het persoonlijke verslag van de ECAC heeft de NCTV geen actie
ondernomen, omdat die niet over aviation security gingen, maar over air
navigation (aviation safety).
Air navigation gaat over luchtverkeersleiding en dat ligt op het beleidsterrein
van de minister van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat. De NCTV is
verantwoordelijk voor aviation security: beveiliging van de burgerluchtvaart.
Het gaat hierbij om beveiligingsmaatregelen op luchthavens die
wederrechtelijke daden, die een gevaar vormen voor de burgerluchtvaart,
dienen te voorkomen.
Bij het toenmalige IenM is aan de openbaar gemaakte passages geen nader
gevolg gegeven, omdat sinds begin maart 2014 al voldoende

⁵ Kamerstukken II 2020-2021, 33997 nr. 167.