Russia To Block Tribunal Investigating MH17 Crash

(Vatican Radio) Russia says it will likely to block a move to establish an international tribunal to prosecute those suspected of downing a passenger airliner last year in Ukraine, which killed hundreds of people. The United Nations Security Council is to vote Wednesday on the proposal by Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands and Ukraine to create the court. 

Listen to Stefan Bos' report

That's more than a year after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was downed over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board, two-thirds of them Dutch nationals. 

Last month, Malaysia circulated a draft resolution to form the tribunal. Russia last week proposed a rival text that demands justice for the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, but does not establish a tribunal. 

Russia's move follows reports that Dutch crash investigators concluded that evidence showed the aircraft was show down by Russian-backed separatists with a Russian surface-to-air missile.

CONSULTATIVE MEETING

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin suggested there have been tough discussions within the United Nations on how to overcome the differences. Though a “satisfactory” consultative meeting was held on both the tribunal idea and the Russian project, “there were some polemical statements by our Western colleagues, “ he told reporters. 

“Despite the uneasy circumstances of being under huge propagandistic pressure which was created by the world's media I felt the desire for the Security Council to not be involved in some political propaganda game, but instead make real steps towards conducting the investigation and ultimately the trial which is, of course, necessary and provided by resolution 2166," he added. 

On July 21, 2014,  the Security Council  unanimously adopted a resolution that demanded that those responsible "be held to account and that all states cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability."

Yet Western have expressed concern that Russia will not cooperate if evidence suggests Russian backed separatists were responsible for shooting down the plane, while Moscow has blamed Kiev for the tragedy.