DISINFO: Biased JIT excluded Russia from MH17 investigation and refused its assistance
SUMMARY
The JIT excluded Russia from the MH17 investigation but included Ukraine, despite the country’s involvement in the armed conflict and its possible role in the downing of MH17. Moscow has made numerous offers to assist in the investigation but has been rebuffed.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine, aiming to discredit the criminal trial and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT). A "possible role in the downing of MH17" is a purely hypothetical (and thus invalid) factor in granting or denying a particular government access to the probe. The actual reason for Russia's non-involvement in the investigation is that the crash did not take place over Russian territory and claimed no Russian lives. Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke told a Russian newspaper that "if MH17 were shot down over Russia, I would have suggested that Russia be made a member of the JIT group." In 2015, Moscow was presented with an opportunity to help establish the truth about the MH17 disaster, in the form of a UN Security Council resolution calling for the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal for Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. The Russian delegation, however, vetoed the resolution.