Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stood firm on her opinion that Russia should be held accountable for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which killed 298 people, including 38 Australians.
Speaking at a memorial event in Canberra on July 17, which marked the 10th anniversary of the event, Wong expressed her unwavering opposition to Russia and her solidarity with those impacted by the catastrophe, as families and officials remembered the victims, News.com.au reported.
Family members, dignitaries, and politicians attended the service, which served as a moving tribute to the victims’ horrific events and their lasting effects on their close kin.
The passenger plane, which was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile in the Russian-backed and rebel-held Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, who expressed their dissent at the time of the downing, joined the commemoration event. The names of the Australian victims who died were read out at the occasion, and golden flowers were arranged on a wreath as a representation of remembrance and resilience.
“On behalf of the Australian Government, I recommit, again, to our collective pursuit of truth, justice and accountability for the outrages perpetrated on July 17, 2014,” Wong said in her speech.
“I recommit to our ongoing partnership with the Netherlands, which lost nearly 200 nationals, with Malaysia, Belgium and Ukraine. Today, we stand with you in your grief and we say to you, it is not your sorrow to bear alone. We stand with you, and we will not forget those we lost on MH17.”
The governments of Australia and the Netherlands continue to pursue a case against Russia to hold it accountable for the downing. Despite this, Russia maintained its denial of any involvement. Three men — Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy, and Leonid Kharchenko — were found guilty by a Dutch court in 2022 and given life sentences in absentia. However, they have never been extradited.
“While we are appalled that Russia has withdrawn from the action, Australia and the Netherlands initiated in the international civil aviation organisation, the case will continue,” Senator Wong said. “We will not be deterred in our commitment to hold Russia to account.”
