MH17 relatives ask Trump to talk to Putin

Working group Truth-finding MH17 wrote a letter to United States president Donald Trump asking him to intervene on their behalf with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The working group, which consists of relatives of people who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014, wants Trump to convince Putin to cooperate in the investigation and be open about what happened, according to the letter published by RTL Nieuws.

In the letter, the relatives refer to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the Saudi Arabian governments' various versions of what happened to him. Trump called this "one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups". The MH17 relatives believe Russia's attitude towards the MH17 disaster - constantly denying Russian involvement and releasing theories that do not correspond with the known facts - falls into this same category.

"In the recent tragic and brutal murder of Mister Khashoggi the world has reacted accordingly, pressing for the truth and not accepting any cover-ups. We hope that you agree that if a single innocent life calls for this, two hundred and ninety eight, including one US citizen, certainly qualify", the relatives write. "No responsibility has been taken, by anyone. Instead, several obvious attempts have been made to cover up what really happened on that horrific summer's day. Attempts by Russian Federation officials, backed and repeated by President Putin."

They hope that Trump will discuss the MH17 disaster with Putin and help them find out what happened to their loved ones. "As families we have a right to know what happened to our loved ones. We call on you Sir, in assisting us in our rightful quest. President Putin has answers we are entitled to hear. We call on you, to try and convince him that it is never too late for redemption."

Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014. All 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch, were killed. Investigation by the Dutch Safety Board and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) so far revealed that the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down by a BUK missile system from the 53rd Anti-aircraft Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, fired from a field in Ukraine that was under the control of pro-Russian separatists at the time.

The JIT tracked a convoy of nearly 50 military vehicles, including the BUK that shot down MH17, from a 53rd Brigade parking area in Kursk to the border of Ukraine between June 23rd and 25th, 2014 - a few weeks before MH17 was shot down. Australia and the Netherlands officially held Russia accountable for its role in the MH17 disaster - providing the missile that shot down the plane - in May of this year.

In September Russia held a press conference in which the country said that the BUK missile was indeed made in Russia, but was in Ukrainian hands at the time of the disaster. Russia has been pointing the finger to Ukraine since the disaster happened. In October the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it is willing to discuss MH17 liability with the Netherlands, "partly with the goal of looking professionally at the responsibility of Ukraine".

Read the full text of the working group's letter to Trump below:

Wassenaar/New York City, October 28, 2018

To the President of the United States of America

Dear Mister Trump, Receiving news on a possible meeting between you and President Putin of Russia, we feel compelled to write to you. We are some thirty families of victims of Flight MH-17, shot down over Ukraine in 2014.

Recently you labelled the murder on Mister Jamal Khashoggi as ‘one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups’. Acknowledging we do not have all the facts here, we feel you may be right. As long as we can also agree on the fact that the enduring cover-up for 298 murders on all MH-17 passengers and crew, is in the same category. No responsibility has been taken, by anyone. Instead, several obvious attempts have been made to cover up what really happened on that horrific summer’s day. Attempts by Russian Federation officials, backed and repeated by President Putin.

Although we still cannot know what the exact Russian Federation’s role was, they have floated multiple versions of what must have happened – versions that have all have been refuted by the facts we do know, as well as by evidence provided by the Joint Investigating Team. We understand that confidential intelligence available to your government also fully sustains this notion.

In the recent tragic and brutal murder of Mister Khashoggi the world has reacted accordingly, pressing for the truth and not accepting any cover-ups. We hope that you agree that if a single innocent life calls for this, two hundred and ninety eight, including one US citizen, certainly qualify.

President Putin seems to work hard for regaining respect for the Russian people, and for himself to go down in history as a great statesman. If he truly is such a person, he must understand that that cover-up stories, especially the obvious ones in serious crimes such as the attack on MH-17, work against achieving that goal.

As families we have a right to know what happened to our loved ones. We call on you Sir, in assisting us in our rightful quest. President Putin has answers we are entitled to hear. We call on you, to try and convince him that it is never too late for redemption. Honoring our loved ones, for the good of this world.

– Working group Truth-finding MH-17