Dutch prosecutors claim Moscow is trying to thwart MH17 investigation

Dutch prosecutor Thijs Berger said Tuesday that there are “strong indications” Russia wants to undermine investigations in the MH17 case.
He explained that there was evidence Russian intelligence agents attempted to hack into the computers of Malaysian and Dutch investigations into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777.
The plane was shot down with a Russian-made Buk missile by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the death of 298 civilians. Two-thirds of the victims were Dutch. Investigators say they have proof the Buk missile system came from a military base in Russia.
The incident happened amid a conflict in eastern Ukraine, after Russian-backed rebels seized the area. The three Russian suspects and one Ukrainian are still at large. They are all linked to pro-Moscow separatists. Russia denies any involvement in the downing.
Prosecutors added that the witnesses in the trial fear for their safety. They revealed that one witness in the case is a Russian volunteer with a separatist rebel group who was close to the place where the missile was fired.
The witness said that people at the launch site were “initially pleased because they were told that a military transport plane had been shot down. However, when the first people returned from the crash site they said that it was a civilian aircraft”.
“There are strong indications that the Russian government is very keen to thwart this investigation and that it is not averse to deploying the Russian security services to this end. These Russian security services have been accused of multiple murders in recent years committed in various European countries”, Berger said.
None of the suspects are attending the trial. Even though international arrest warrants have been issued against the Russian suspects, Russia’s constitution does not permit the extradition of its own nationals.
The Ukrainian suspect is the only one that is represented by a defence team, so the court may decide he is not considered in absentia. If convicted, the suspects could face sentences of up to life in prison.