THE HAGUE: The trials of any suspects arrested in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine will be held in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced Wednesday. Now the countries leading the joint investigation team (JIT) – Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine – have agreed that any trials will be carried out within the Dutch legal system. The countries “decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support,” Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement. Preliminary criminal findings have said around 100 people are under investigation for playing “an active role” in the disaster. Ukraine and the Netherlands will sign a treaty on Friday to allow criminal prosecutions to be transferred to Dutch courts, the justice ministry said in a statement.

Source: New Strait Times July 05, 2017 09:00 UTC