An Australian law firm has filed a compensation claim against Russia and
President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of
families of victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, shot down in 2014, media
reported.
The
jetliner crashed in Ukraine in pro-Russian rebel-held territory on July 17,
2014, killing all 298 people on board, including 28 Australians.
The
aircraft, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by a
Russian-made surface-to-air missile, the Dutch Safety Board concluded in its
final report late last year.
Fighting
was raging in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian
government forces when the aircraft was downed and many Western experts and
governments blamed the rebels.
Australia's
Fairfax media reported on Saturday that 33 next of kin were of victims named in
an application by Sydney law firm LHD Lawyers, representing people from
Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.
Reuters
could not immediately reach LHD Lawyers for comment.
The
application was filed on May 9 and names the Russian Federation and Putin as
respondents and seeks $10 million in compensation per passenger, the report
said.
The Dutch
Safety Board, which was not empowered to address questions of responsibility,
did not point the finger at any group or party for launching the missile.
(Reporting
by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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