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   Russia is guilty of shooting down flight MH17 and has thereby violated   
   international agreements on civil aviation, the Council of the International   
   Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO Council) has ruled. The organization made   
   this decision in a case brought by the Netherlands and Australia, the Ministry   
   of Foreign Affairs reports.   
       
   In the coming weeks, the council will consider what Russia must do to ensure   
   legal redress. The Netherlands and Australia have requested that the council   
   impose on Russia to enter into negotiations with the countries on this matter,   
   under the guidance of ICAO.   
       
   ICAO is part of the United Nations. The 193 affiliated countries have signed   
   the Chicago Convention, which states that these states may not use weapons   
   against aircraft in civil aviation. According to the ICAO Council, Russia has   
   violated this treaty. The ICAO Council reached this conclusion on Monday after   
   a vote among its members.   
       
   Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs) believes the decision is good news   
   for the relatives and victims of flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine   
   on 17 July 2014. "The decision cannot take away their grief and suffering, but   
   it is an important step towards finding the truth, justice and accountability   
   for all victims of flight MH17 and their relatives," said the NSC minister.   
       
   The Malaysia Airlines plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when   
   pro-Russian separatists shot it down. All aboard were killed, among them 196   
   Dutch nationals.   
       
   In 2022, the court in The Hague sentenced three suspects to life imprisonment   
   for their involvement in shooting down the flight. It concerns rebel leader   
   Igor Girkin, his right-hand man Sergei Dubinski and garrison commander Leonid   
   Khartsjenko. A fourth suspect was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The   
   convicted men were not extradited by Russia and therefore did not serve their   
   sentences.   
       
   The MH17 Air Disaster Foundation speaks of an "incredibly good result",   
   according to chairman Piet Ploeg. He calls it "incredibly important" that a UN   
   organization now also judges that Russia is responsible. Ploeg expects a   
   ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in the coming months. These   
   rulings give relatives the feeling that "they are not alone", according to   
   Ploeg.   
       
   The MH17 Truth Finding Working Group, a group of and for relatives that is   
   committed to fully revealing the facts that led to the doning of the flight,   
   is "delighted" with the ruling. "This is a strong signal to Russia to take   
   responsibility for its actions. This is exactly what the working group has   
   been asking of Russia for years," the organization states, which now sees   
   itself supported "by an important UN body."   
      
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