MH17: Malaysia urged to ramp up pressure as justice eludes victims’ families a decade on

However, experts note the tragedy’s complex geopolitical factors means Kuala Lumpur has ‘little leverage’ to press the case on its own

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A Malaysian protester shouts slogans during a rally outside the Russian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on July 22, 2014 over the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 16 Jul 2024Updated: 12:52pm, 16 Jul 2024

Malaysia’s government is “morally compelled” to be more aggressive in pursuing justice over the downing of flight MH17, observers say, as closure remains out of reach for the families of the 298 passengers and crew killed on July 17, 2014.

“It has been 10 years. International law or law in general shouldn’t be this slow,” Farhatul Mustamirrah Mahamad Aziz, an international law expert with Universiti Teknologi Mara, told This Week in Asia.

“How long do the families of the victims have to wait? They need to know what happened, who is responsible and to see the three perpetrators behind bars.”

However, analysts also acknowledge that the complex geopolitical factors surrounding the tragedy mean Malaysia has “little leverage” in pushing for accountability on its own.

MH17, a Boeing 777 operated by flag carrier Malaysia Airlines, was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from a territory held by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

People walking among the debris at the crash site of MH17 in Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Photo: AP

In 2022, a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian of firing the missile that brought down flight MH17. All three individuals remain at large.