Prosecutors to announce MH17 sentencing demands this week

More than one year and nine months after the first session, the Public Prosecution Service will issue the sentences this week against the four men suspected of being involved in the downing of flight MH17 which happened July 17, 2014.

All 298 people on board, including almost 200 Dutch people, were killed in the disaster. The sentencing demand hearings of the Public Prosecution Service are expected to last three days.

The suspects, rebel leader Igor Girkin, his right-hand man Sergei Dubinsky, his assistant Oleg Pulatov and garrison commander Leonid Chartshenko, are held responsible for the downing of MH17.

If the Public Prosecution Service can prove they are guilty, a life sentence will be demanded.

None of the suspects appeared in court. Pulatov's lawyers represented him in court. He denies any involvement.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine. International investigations have shown that this was probably done with a Buk missile by pro-Russian separatists who did not realize that it was a passenger flight.

The extensive case started on March 9, 2020. A ruling in the court case is not expected before the second half of next year.