Victims of MH17 plane crash disaster 7 years ago commemorated online
On July 17, 2014 flight MH17 was shot down with a Buk missile over eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch people died in the crash. The plane had been on its way from Schiphol to Kuala Lumpur. Same as last year due to the coronavirus, the commemoration was held online at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
During the memorial, the names of the 298 victims were be read aloud. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the chair of the MH17 plane crash foundation, Piet Ploeg, also held a speech. Before the start of the pandemic, the memorial was held yearly at the national memorial monument in Vijfhuizen.
“There are always moments when you miss them. Not to mention what they have missed in the past seven years”, Anton Kotte from Eindhoven said to Omroep Brabant. He lost his son, daughter-in-law and grandson in the crash.
Last year, criminal proceedings were started against four suspects who have been held believed to be responsible for the tragedy. The four suspects include three Russians and one Ukrainian. The case is held in a special court at Schiphol.
“It is not only the commemoration today but also the lawsuit that plays a role in the back of our minds”, Bart and Jeanne Hornikx from Goirle said. They lost their daughter, Astrid and her boyfriend in the crash.
The proceedings have been expected to last until November this year, although a verdict will likely not be reached until 2022.