European Court Rules Russia Behind Downing of Flight MH17, Violations in Ukraine

The ruling said that Russia’s actions were unprecedented in the history of the Council of Europe.

View of the MH17 wreckage as judges inspect its reconstruction as part of the murder trial ahead of the beginning of a critical stage in Reijen, Netherlands, on May 26, 2021. Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool/Reuters

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Wednesday that Russia was responsible for a number of violations of international law in Ukraine, as well as the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

The ECHR delivered the decisions in relation to three cases brought by Ukraine against Russia involving violations committed since the start of the conflict in 2014. These included extrajudicial killings, torture, forced labor, and taking Ukrainian children to Russia and, in many cases, facilitating their adoption.