OPEN LETTER/ Come to the dialogue and listen to me speak, otherwise I will cut off your scholarships, you will rot in prison. Please!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Flight MH17 disaster/ 10 years ago today, 298 people never returned home

2024-07-17 20:08:28Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Flight MH17 disaster/ 10 years ago today, 298 people never returned home
Flight MH17 disaster

Hans de Borst's hands trembled as he flipped through the program of the memorial service. His 17-year-old daughter Elsemiek was on board MH17, 10 years ago today.

Hans was among the first family members to arrive at the small amphitheater at the heart of the MH17 National Memorial.

"How do I feel?" said Hans, echoing the words of the BBC journalist, "a bit nervous".

Flight MH17 disaster/ 10 years ago today, 298 people never returned home
King Willem Alexander and Prime Minister Dick Schoof

He gestured to rows of chairs where 1,300 relatives and dignitaries from around the world, including Dutch King Willem-Alexander, would sit.

298 people died on July 17, 2024, when a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit by a Russian missile. It was launched from an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian forces.

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was among the people who participated. Asked by the BBC whether he and his government had done enough to bring justice to the victims, Rutte said: "I don't know, I really don't know."

Two Russians and a Ukrainian were convicted of murder in absentia by a Dutch court in 2022.

Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko all face life in prison but remain on the run because Russia has refused to hand them over to face justice.

The Kremlin has denied any responsibility for the air disaster, which has left a lasting mark on the memory of the Dutch nation.

Rutte himself, who is expected to take up the post of NATO secretary general in October, noted the difficulties of bringing justice and was moved by the tributes on Wednesday, on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.

Some of the relatives of those who lost their lives exchanged hugs and a few words with the man who was prime minister at the time the incident occurred and left this post about 2 weeks ago.

"I think he did everything he could," said Silene Frederiksz, whose son was on board MH17.

"And I am optimistic that Dick Schoof, the new Dutch Prime Minister, will continue to demand justice and accountability. He was involved in the investigations of MH17, he understands well".

A decade later, the families are still seeking the truth and bringing those responsible to justice.

"MH17 continues to haunt me," says Piet Ploeg, who on July 17, 2014, lost his nephew, brother and sister-in-law.

Flight MH17 disaster/ 10 years ago today, 298 people never returned home

Of the 298 victims, 196 were Dutch, 43 were from Malaysia, 38 from Australia and 10 from Great Britain.

Among the dead, 80 were children.

Relatives of the Australian victims attended a separate memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra.

The war in eastern Ukraine, which at the time had started for a few months, erupted in February 2022 when Russia decided to invade all of Ukraine.

Many of the Dutch's relatives believe that the current hostilities could have been avoided if the international community had taken a tougher stance after the plane crash.

The passenger jet exploded while at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

Bodies and debris fell on sunflower fields near Hrabov, in eastern Ukraine.

Flight MH17 disaster/ 10 years ago today, 298 people never returned home

Since then, sunflowers have become a symbol of the tragedy and family members held them as they attended the ceremony at the Dutch memorial, located near Schiphol airport.

For many of the families, the MH17 national monument has become a place of comfort.

298 trees have been planted in this monument, in memory of each of the victims. At each tree, relatives placed flowers, candles and photos of their loved ones who never came home.

Galeria fotografike (
)


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×