DISINFO: The MH17 plane crash trial does not have substantive evidence

The article continues on a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative discrediting the value of the evidence obtained by the International Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the downing of flight MH17. The article is also a series of disinformation narrative covering the MH17 trial. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) - which is comprised of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service officials and the Dutch police, along with police and criminal justice authorities from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine - has concluded that flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014 by a missile of the 9M38 series, launched by a BUK-TELAR, from farmland in the vicinity of Pervomaiskiy. At that time, the area was controlled by pro-Russian fighters. The BUK-TELAR was brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation and subsequently, after having shot down flight MH17, was taken back to the Russian Federation. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has concluded that the BUK-TELAR used to down MH17 originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade, a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation. The disinformation containing article particularly focuses on the account of the witness M58 citing an RIA Novosti piece, which alleges that the only “evidence” is the witness hearing “Russian accent” from a person next to the BUK Anti-Aircraft Installation. The witness M58, remaining anonymous due to murder threats, has stated that Russian military personnel, whom the DPR fighters said were from the FSB, were with the Buk TELAR at the launch site. According to JIT, the same Russian FSB and GRU members were involved in state-sponsored killings abroad and have been also closely involved in the armed conflict in Ukraine. Furthermore, the disinformation containing article states that public hearing does not look for more substantive data and does not rely on other evidence such as sample tests or inspections of the radars, but the JIT team used intercepted phone conversations which further suggest the involvement of the trial defendants. The JIT also analysed radar and satellite images and big data. Similar disinformation cases surrounding the MH17 trial cover claims that: The Netherlands is going to sabotage the MH17 trial, The MH17 trial will be a show process, the MH17 trial is not about justice but information warfare, the defendants do not have access to their own case files and that there was no BUK and MH17 crashed because of an explosion on board.