Malaysia vows to indict MH17 culprits

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is determined to prosecute those responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over the Ukraine.

The Boeing 777 crash on July 17, 2014, killed all 298 people on board when it was shot down flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The statement comes a day after a Dutchled international team of investigators said it was ‘‘convinced’’ the BUK missile system used to shoot down the plane ‘‘originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile Brigade, a unit of the Russian army from Kursk’’, near the Ukrainian border.

The Malaysian ministry said it was ‘‘resolved to seek justice for the victims’’ and ‘‘remains resolute in the pursuit to prosecute those responsible’’.

It added it would study the joint investigation team’s findings and reiterated the team’s call for information from insiders and eyewitnesses.

A An Australian man whose parents were killed in the Malaysia Airlines disaster in 2014 says the international community must pressure Russia to take responsibility after investigators found its missile brought down flight MH17.

Australia and other countries are considering the next steps towards prosecution after the finding from the tragedy was handed down by Dutch National Police on Thursday.

‘‘It’s good to see some strong evidence that Russia was involved,’’ Paul Guard, who lost his parents Jill and Roger in the disaster, told the ABC yesterday.

‘‘Clearly, Russia has a lot of questions to answer as to what its missile launcher was doing there and why it was involved in this war in the first place.

‘‘That is certainly something the international community needs to put some pressure on Russia to acknowledge.’’

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine were considering their options.

The incident should be of ‘‘grave international concern’’, and the countries were united in their pursuit for justice for those who lost their lives as well as their loved ones, she said.

Mr Guard was doubtful of an imminent admission by Russia.

‘‘Clearly, governments seem to have a big problem in acknowledging their involvement in these sorts of things,’’ he said.

‘‘The US, I think, took over 10 years to acknowledge the shooting down of an Iranian jet.

‘‘I’m not expecting anything anytime soon.’’

A statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ office said ‘‘New Zealand supports international efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice’’.

Passenger jet MH17 was headed from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was blown out of the sky over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.

All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 38 Australians.

Russia has always denied involvement in the downing of the jet. — EFE/AAP