Russia assured this Thursday that it will “analyze” the verdict of the Dutch judiciary, which convicted in absentia two Russian nationals and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian for the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane in 2014, but ruled out any extradition.
According to the deputy spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Nechaev, Moscow can now “analyze” the decision of the court in The Hague.
“Every detail is important and after analyzing all the data, we will certainly be ready to comment,” said Nechaev.
However, sources close to the Russian government told the Interfax news agency that the two Russian citizens, Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky, who were sentenced in absentia, are barred from extradition to the Netherlands.
“The Russian constitution directly prohibits the extradition of Russian citizens abroad. Therefore, neither will be sent to Dutch soil,” a source from the Russian security forces told Europa Press, on condition of anonymity.
Girkin and Dubinsky, along with Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, were found guilty of murder for their part in the destruction of the Malaysian Airlines plane, which killed 298.
In the trial, which lasted more than two years, it was proven that the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit by a Russian-made ‘Buk’ missile fired by Ukrainian pro-Moscow fighters on July 17 , 2014, released from the area in the Lugansk region.
Source: DN
