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Disinfo: The outcome of the MH17 trial is predetermined

Summary

The trial and the entire investigation prior to it were heavily politicized and continues to be so [sic]. The outcome appears to be determined from the beginning, and the attempts to fit facts into the desired reality are becoming increasingly apparent.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to discredit the investigation of the Joint International Team (JIT) into the downing of flight MH17. The 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. On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, the Dutch Public Persecution service will persecute Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin, Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy, Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov, and Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko for causing the crash of MH17 and murdering the 298 persons on board. The public hearing took place on 9 March 2020 in the Netherlands. The European Union and NATO have called on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility and to fully cooperate with all efforts to establish accountability. On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia have concluded that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the BUK installation that was used to down MH17. The two governments are formally holding Russia accountable. Read similar disinformation cases alleging that the Netherlands is going to sabotage the MH17 trial, the MH17 trial will be a show process, and that there was no BUK and MH17 crashed because of an explosion on board.

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SouthFront - English
  • Reported in: Issue 187
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 09/03/2020
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: The Netherlands
  • Keywords: Conspiracy theory, MH17
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British cyber forces are attacking Russia with anti-Russian fuss

A special unit in the British cyber forces is called JTRIG, and it is this unit’s ‘specialists’ who quite often carry out propagandistic cyber operations, which have recently most often been directed against Russia. Among these are the anti-Russian fuss around Skripal poisoning, groundless accusations of Russia’s alleged involvement in the crash of the Malaysian plane MH-17 over Donetsk, and accusations of Moscow’s aggressive actions in Syria.

Mar 08, 2020
Disproof

This is an unfounded conspiracy theory that utilises the common pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative invoking "Russophobia", which is used to attempt to delegitimise any criticism of Russian actions as merely being a manifestation of the West's "anti-Russian" attitudes. In fact, the Skripal case, the downing of MH17, and Russian military aggression in Syria are all well-documented cases of Kremlin-organised acts of violence outside Russia. There is no evidence to support the groundless claim about the British cyber forces. For similar cases attempting to smear the UK for being Russophobic or anti-Russian, see here.

Crimea became Russian in full compliance with international law after a referendum

In 2014, there has been a referendum in which the people of Crimea voted to unite with Russia in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. Now the issue is definitely closed.

Mar 08, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the annexation of Crimea claiming that Crimean citizens chose to rejoin Russia through a legal referendum. On 26 February 2014 the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government. The next day a referendum was announced and a vote was held on March 16, 2014 in the Peninsula of Crimea. The territory was then controlled by Russian forces, though neither Ukrainian nor Russian election code was observed. The European Commission for Democracy through Law, known as as the Venice Commission, declared that the referendum was illegal under both Ukrainian and Crimean Constitutions, and violated international standards and norms. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. The EU's policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol includes a set of restrictive measures against entities and individuals responsible for actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity. In March 2019 on the fifth anniversary of Crimea's annexation, the EU reiterated its position of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. EU continues to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine, supporting its sovereignty and territorial integrity. See more disinformation cases about the illegal annexation of Crimea.

CIA-controlled SBU shot MH17

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) shot flight MH17. They used a rocket from the stockpiles of the Ministry of Defense. The SBU was acting with the guidance of CIA officers. Many consider the SBU the Ukrainian branch of the CIA: after the coup of February 2014, American secret services received an entire floor to use in the SBU HQ. American involvement in the downing of MH17 is indicated by the fact that no US citizens were on the flight. After shooting down the plane, they have been involved in openly falsifying results. They did this for five years; so the murderers carried out the investigation. The SBU is certainly the one who committed the crime.

Mar 08, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to discredit the International Joint Investigation (JIT) into the downing of flight MH17. 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. On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, the Dutch Public Persecution service will persecute Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin, Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy, Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov, and Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko for causing the crash of MH17 and murdering the 298 persons on board. The public trial opened on 9 March in The Hague. None of the men were present on the first hearing. Moreover, there is no evidence that the SBU was involved in the downing of the plane or that it was under the control of the CIA.