Disinfo: The Court in MH17 case is legally invalid

Summary

The judgment of the Hague Court in the case of MH17 does not inspire confidence, there were too many "dark areas" in the course of the investigation, and the lack of transparency and inconsistencies raise doubts about the impartiality of justice.

What to do with the fact that the shot came from the territory controlled by Kyiv, that the rebels did not have weapons that could bring down the plane?

The decision of the Hague Court, which was expected, is legally invalid.

Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation about downing of flight MH17 and attempt to discredit the Joint Investigative Team (JIT) and the criminal trial.

The verdict of the court published on 17 November 2022 was based on strong pieces of evidence and alternative scenarios were excluded based on the evidence.

The Court in its ruling stated that there is no doubt that the MH17 was hit by a Buk missile fired from a farm field near Pervomaiskyi in Ukraine. This field was located in separatist-controlled territory. "This is clear from photographs of a smoke trail in the sky, statements by a protected witness, satellite images, intercepted telephone conversations and transmission mast data, photographs and videos of a Buk TELAR being brought in and removed, and examination of fragments in the remains of a crew member and in the truss and the groove of the aircraft. Investigation in the Netherlands and abroad has not revealed any traces of evidence tampering. Alternative scenarios, for example that the Buk missile was fired from a different area, are ruled out based on the evidence," stated in the final verdict.

EU HRVP Josep Borrell called the verdict "an important first step on the path of truth and accountability." He also stressed that the "EU reiterates its call on Russia to accept its responsibility in this tragedy and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations."

See here and here for further debunking by Bellingcat and Polygraph.info, respectively and our interview with the Dutch Safety Board, tasked with investigating the cause of the crash of MH17.

Read more disinformation cases about the downing of the flight MH17.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 318
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18/11/2022
  • Article language(s) Georgian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, Malaysia, The Netherlands
  • Keywords: MH17, War in Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Donbas, Anti-Russian, war crimes
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Disinfo: MH17 court admitted the eastern Ukraine conflict is internal

The court overseeing the MH17 case ruled that the crash occurred in the course of a non-international conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Disproof

The claim is a blunt misrepresentation of the verdict of the court in the Hague and it advances recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives denying Russia’s responsibility for the MH17 disaster and the country’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Contrary to Sputnik's false claim, the 17 November 2022 verdict, issued by the Hague District Court, see the official-summary of the ruling states:

Disinfo: Ukraine and Poland tried to provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO

Ukraine and Poland tried to provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO with the missile incident. The absolutely irresponsible statements made by the leadership of these two states cannot be perceived in another way.

Disproof

Unfounded statement. This claim was made in connection with the recent missile accident in Poland. On 15 November 2022, S-300 missile entered the Polish airspace from the territory of Ukraine, killing two Polish civilians. According to the US and Polish officials, the missile was fired by the Ukrainian air defence troops, which tried to fight with a large-scale Russian missile attack taking place on 15 November 2022. According to the statement of Polish President Andrzej Duda, this situation is an “unfortunate accident” which is a result of a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine. According to Nato's position, “Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine”.

At the same time, the Polish authorities and NATO representatives underline that this missile accident was not a deliberate attack on Poland and “there are no indications that Russia is preparing offensive military actions against NATO”.

Disinfo: Ukraine and Poland want to provoke a direct NATO provocation with Russia

Ukraine and Poland tried to provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO by launching missiles at the border territory. Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have known that the missiles launched by Ukraine had hit the territory of Poland. Thus, his words are not only deliberate disinformation but also a conscious attempt to involve NATO in a direct confrontation with Russia – NATO is already waging a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that the West has an aggressive stance against Russia and is involved in a “proxy war” against Russia in Ukraine.

The claim that Poland and Ukraine want to provoke a military conflict between NATO and Russia is ungrounded. This claim was made in connection with the recent missile accident in Poland. On 15 November 2022, an S-300 missile entered Polish airspace from the territory of Ukraine, killing two Polish civilians. According to the US and Polish officials, the missile was fired by the Ukrainian air defence troops, which were counteracting a large-scale Russian missile attack on the same day.