MH17 families place 298 empty chairs outside Russian embassy to demand accountability

Relatives of the 298 victims of the MH17 air disaster placed 298 empty chairs Sunday in front of the Russian embassy in The Hague, continuing an annual protest.

The chairs symbolize each victim of the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. The plane was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck by pro-Russian separatists.

Sander van Luik of the MH17 Truth Finding Working Group, which organized the event, described the protest as a quiet but meaningful act. “It is a small group of relatives who find it important to do this,” he said. “The chairs stand opposite the Russian embassy, waiting for answers that have long been due from Moscow.”

The demonstration specifically targets Russia’s refusal to accept responsibility for the attack. Last month, the United Nations’ civil aviation body formally ruled that Russia was responsible for downing the flight, reinforcing calls for accountability.

Van Luik emphasized the symbolic nature of the protest, which aims to maintain pressure on Russia to respond. “The relatives continue to demand truth and justice,” he said.