AYLEY AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA and 1 other application (European Court of Human Rights)

Last Updated on April 28, 2019 by LawEuro

Communicated on 3 April 2019

THIRD SECTION

Applications nos. 25714/16 and 56328/18
SharleneAYLEY and Others against Russia
and ANGLINE and Othersagainst Russia
lodged on 6 May 2016 and 23 November 2018 respectively

STATEMENT OF FACTS

A.  The circumstances of the case

1.  The most essential facts of the case, as stated by the applicants or as laid down in documents submitted (see appendix II) or referred to by them, may be summarised as follows.

1.  The applicants

2.  The applicants are relatives of persons who were on Malaysia Airlines commercial flight MH17, destroyed over the territory of Eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014. All persons on board died.

3.  A list of all applicants, their dates of birth and the dates on which they introduced their applications before the Court appears in appendix I. The information in appendix I is based on the paper application forms and the list of applicants submitted by their lawyers in an electronic format. The applicants have declared that they are nationals of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vietnam.

4.  Some of the applicants have indicated, in their applications forms or documents submitted by them, the name of their relative who died on flight MH17 and the relevant level of kinship.

5.  The applicants in application no. 25714/16 are represented by Mr J. Skinner. The applicants in application no. 56328/18 are represented by Mr S.V. Mewa.

2.  The general situation in Eastern Ukraine in July 2014

6.  In the beginning of 2014 Russian military forces made several incursions into Ukrainian territory. An incursion in the Crimea region, initially denied but later acknowledged by the Russian authorities, was followed by their declaration that that region had become part of Russia.

7.  In the eastern regions of Ukraine, on its border with Russia, protests against the central authorities in Kiyv escalated into an armed separatist insurgency, to which Russia supplied military aid, including military equipment and personnel. In June and July 2014 parts of eastern Ukraine were under the control of self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist entities. According to the applicants, these entities were either under the control of the authorities of the Russian Federation or operated in very close cooperation with them.

8.  In July 2014 there was intensive fighting between the Ukrainian army and separatist forces.

3.  The downing of flight MH17 and the first international reactions

9.  Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur took off on 17 July 2014 on schedule and was carried out by a passenger Boeing 777-200 aircraft with registration marks 9M-MRD. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board.

10.  At 15:20 Central European Time, the aircraft, when flying over eastern Ukraine, was hit and disintegrated in the air. The wreckage fell down on several sites near the villages of Hrabove, Rozsypne and Petropavlivka in Eastern Ukraine. Six wreckage sites were identified, spread over 50 square kilometres overall.

11.  All 298 persons on board lost their lives. Their remains were later flown to the Netherlands and identified there by an international team of forensic specialists.

12.  On the same day, 17 July 2014, the Trilateral Contact Group of senior representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE, formed earlier that year in relation to the armed conflict in the region, issued a press release which stated:

“In view of the terrible crash of a Malaysian airliner in the region of Donetsk and in order to agree on a number of urgent practical measures, the Group held a video conference with representatives of separatist groups in Donetsk.

The representatives of separatist groups in Donetsk committed to the following:

1.  as a matter of priority, they shall close off the site of the catastrophe and allow local authorities to start preparations for the recovery of bodies;

2.  they shall provide safe access and security guarantees to the national investigation commission, including international investigators, in the area under their control;

3.  they shall provide safe access and security guarantees to OSCE monitors;

4.  they shall cooperate with the relevant authorities of Ukraine on all practical questions arising in the course of the recovery and investigation works.”

13.  On 21 July 2014 the United Nations Security Council adopted unanimously Resolution 2166 which, in its operative part, stated, inter alia:

“[The Security Council] …

3.  Supports efforts to establish a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the incident in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines;

4.  Recognizes the efforts under way by Ukraine, working in coordination with ICAO and other international experts and organizations, including representatives of States of Occurrence, Registry, Operator, Design and Manufacture, as well as States who have lost nationals on MH17, to institute an international investigation of the incident, and calls on all States to provide any requested assistance to civil and criminal investigations related to this incident;

5.  Expresses grave concern at reports of insufficient and limited access to the crash site;

6.  Demands that the armed groups in control of the crash site and the surrounding area refrain from any actions that may compromise the integrity of the crash site, including by refraining from destroying, moving, or disturbing wreckage, equipment, debris, personal belongings, or remains, and immediately provide safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the site and surrounding area for the appropriate investigation authorities, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and representatives of other relevant international organisations according to ICAO and other established procedures;

9.  Calls on all States and actors in the region to cooperate fully in relation to the international investigation of the incident, including with respect to immediate and unrestricted access to the crash site as referred to in paragraph 6;

10.  Welcomes in this regard the statement on 17 July 2014 by the Trilateral Contact Group of senior representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE and demands that the commitments outlined in that statement be implemented in full;

11.  Demands, that all those responsible for the incident be held to account and that all States cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability;

…”

4.  Investigations, official positions expressed by Governments and other proceedings

(a)  The investigation that resulted in the final report of the Dutch Safety Board, published in October 2015

(i)  Organisation and handling of the investigation

14.  On an unspecified date the Ukrainian authorities opened an investigation into the accident and, soon thereafter, requested the Netherlands, the State with the largest number of nationals on board the aeroplane, to take over. With the agreement of the Dutch authorities, on 23 July 2014 Ukraine delegated the investigation to the Netherlands. As from that date, the Netherlands became the State conducting the investigation into the causes of the crash in accordance with the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (hereinafter “the Chicago Convention”).

15.  The Dutch Safety Board, an independent administrative body in the Netherlands which operates independently from the Dutch Government, conducted the investigation.

16.  It combined the investigation delegated from the Ukrainian authorities with its own investigation, initiated separately on 18 July 2014, into the decision-making related to flying over the conflict zone in the eastern part of Ukraine.

17.  In accordance with Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, the purpose of the investigation was “to establish the causes of the crash and the factors that contributed” with a prevention objective and “not to apportion blame or liability”.

18.  While the investigation was conducted by the Dutch Safety Board, the following States participated and appointed accredited representatives: Ukraine, as the State of occurrence, Malaysia, as the State of the operator and of registry, the United States of America, as the State of design and manufacture of the aeroplane, the United Kingdom, as the State of design and manufacture of the engines, as well as Australia and the Russian Federation, as States that provided information on request. Other countries which lost citizens on flight MH 17 were invited to view evidence and comment on the draft report.

19.  Air accident investigators from Ukraine and Malaysia, police officers from Australia and journalists, escorted by representatives of the OSCE, visited the crash area in the days following the crash. The wreckage was photographed extensively and showed the locations mostly undisturbed. The information gathered was shared with the Dutch Safety Board.

20.  Investigators acting for the international investigation led by the Dutch Safety Board visited the crash site for the first time in November 2014, there having been no earlier possibility due to safety concerns related to the armed conflict in the area. They recovered the majority of the wreckage. Additional visits, during which more wreckage parts were recovered, took place in March and April/May 2015. The investigators recorded the locations where each piece of wreckage was found. Some wreckage pieces were collected by local residents and handed over to the Dutch Safety Board with the consequence that the location where they fell was unknown. Other pieces found on the ground had obviously been moved before they were found. Part of the wreckage was never recovered, including pieces that were identified as having been in the wreckage area shortly after the crash but were not found during the recovery missions.

21.  During the recovery of the wreckage, a number of parts that did not originate from the plane were found in the wreckage area. The parts that were suspected to be related to a surface-to-air missile were transported to the Netherlands in the same way as the aeroplane wreckage.

22.  A wreckage reconstruction, an analysis of the high-energy objects found and blast damage simulations were also performed, among others, during the investigation.

23.  Following a preliminary report published on 9 September 2014, the Board published its final report in October 2015.

24.  The latter report stated that there had been “constructive cooperation between the States involved in the investigation: the Netherlands, Ukraine, Malaysia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Russian Federation” and that “the representatives of these States, who were members of the international investigation team, had access to the investigation information and were able to study and verify it.”

(ii)   The final report of October 2015

25.  The most relevant findings in the report are listed below:

–  the aircraft had been in an airworthy condition on departure from Amsterdam;

–  at the relevant time both Ukraine and the Russian Federation had restricted access to parts of their airspace up to flight level 320 (meaning up to an altitude of approximately 9,750 metres);

–  while over Ukraine, including at the time of the last contact, the aircraft was flying at flight level 330 (at an altitude of approximately 10,050 metres);

–  no distress messages from flight MH17 were received by air traffic control;

–  the replay of the communications recorded on the cockpit voice recorder demonstrated no indication of anything unusual and the recording ended abruptly, twenty milliseconds after two sound peaks heard on the tape;

–   the data from the flight data recorder demonstrated that the aircraft was flying at 33,000 feet (approximately 10,050 metres) with a groundspeed of approximately 914 km per hour, that no technical malfunction or warnings were recorded and that the recording stopped abruptly;

–  there was no in-flight fire before the break-up of the aeroplane; fires erupted at two wreckage sites after the crash;

–  three other commercial aeroplanes were in the same area at the time of the last contact, the closest of them being at a distance of 33 km; radar data from Ukraine did not show any other radar targets in the vicinity;

–  a video of the radar screen received from the Russian Federation showed, during two intervals of 20 and 40 seconds, a second radar target close to the target labelled MH17; this was considered to be aeroplane debris having sufficient reflection to be detected as primary target, a finding consistent with the wind direction and final position of the wreckage; it was not possible to verify the video as the Russian Federation, despite requests, did not send raw radar data to the investigators but only a video of the radar screen;

–  due to factors such as detection sensitivity levels of the radars and their system filtering modalities (intended to remove phenomena from a radar screen that are detected but are not required to be displayed), it was very unlikely that the air traffic control primary radar systems in the area could detect and display a missile moving at high speed;

–  wreckage parts from what appeared to have been a 9M38 series surface-to-air missile were found in the area;

–  the autopsies demonstrated that the captain, the first officer from team A and the purser sustained multiple fatal injuries associated with the impact of metal fragments moving at high velocity;

–  over 500 small fragments were recovered from bodies and the aeroplane wreckage; the composition, shape and other characteristics of many of these fragments showed that they were high-energy objects that had deformed on impact with the aeroplane at very high velocity; some of the fragments were in the shape of a bow-tie;

–  some of the aeroplane wreckage parts and one of the missile parts showed traces of explosive residues;

–  paint samples taken from missile parts found in the wreckage area matched those found on foreign objects extracted from the aeroplane;

–  the investigation considered in detail and excluded the following possible causes of the damage and break-up of the aeroplane: lightning, meteor strike, space debris, explosion inside the aircraft or in the tank or engines;

–  the evidence pointed to damage by a large number of high-energy objects, well over 800, that perforated the aeroplane from the outside, on the left hand and upper side of the cockpit; there was also evidence of the effects of a detonation blast, such as blast deposits and direct pressure;

–  the investigation considered in detail and excluded, as possible weapon systems that may have caused the damage found on the aeroplane, the following weapons: air-to-air gun/canon (which could not result in more than several dozen bullets penetrating the aircraft given the altitude and speed of flight MH 17 and could not produce fragments as those found in bodies and wreckage); air-to-air missile (damage pattern not matching and no air-to-air missiles used in the region having the distinctly formed bow-tie shaped fragments in their warhead); portable shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile (unable to reach the altitude MH17 was flying at).

–  there was only one source of damage and the aeroplane was not struck by more than one weapon;

–  a large surface-to-air missile with fragmentation warhead was able to engage an aeroplane of the size and speed of a Boeing 777 at its cruising altitude; missile warheads of this type contained fragments of different shapes;

–  bow-tie and cube-shaped fragments were only found in the 9N314M warhead, which can be fitted to the 9M38M1 missile;

–  the Buk surface-to-air missile system was present in the region and was the only weapon with warheads containing pre-formed fragments in the shape of a bow-tie; this system could reach targets up to an altitude of 80,000 feet (approximately 24,400 metres);

–  the analysis of all information in the investigation led to conclude that the aeroplane had been struck by a 9N314M warhead as carried on a 9M38-series missile and launched by a Buk surface-to-air missile system;

–  the studies, including simulation exercises, conducted with the aim of verifying that the damage observed could originate from such a warhead and establishing the missile’s possible flight path from the ground to detonation resulted in findings that a 70kg warhead best matched the damage observed on the wreckage and that the area from which the possible flight paths could have commenced was an area of about 320 square kilometres in the east of Ukraine.

(iii)  Requests for corrections to the draft final report and the replies of the Dutch Safety Board

26.  Appendix V to the report lists proposals for corrections to the initial text of the draft final report which were made by representatives of the countries participating in the international investigation on unspecified dates prior to the publication of the final report. The final report took account of the corrections requested when they were granted.

27.  The Russian Federation and Ukraine, among others, made a number of proposals. Some of those are listed below.

28.  The Russian Federation proposed, inter alia, that the report should state that there “existed other scenarios that could lead to in-flight break-up of the aircraft” but the Dutch Safety Board refused, noting that all other scenarios had beeen considered, analysed and excluded.

29.  The Russian Federation also disagreed with the conclusion of the Dutch Safety Board that the Russian Federation had failed to submit raw radar data in violation of Annexes 11 and 14 to the Chicago Convention, maintaining that Annex 14 did not require that raw data must be saved. The Dutch Safety Board consulted the International Civil Aviation Organisation (“ICAO”) which concurred with the Dutch position.

30.  Ukraine requested a sentence to be included to the effect that access to the crash site could not be provided immediately because the area was controlled by “illegal armed groups”. This was refused by the Dutch Safety Board as it had to remain politically neutral.

31.  The Russian Federation requested information on the steel grade used in the discovered high-energy objects in order to link those to possible types of warhead. The Dutch Safety Board considered that studying the detailed chemical composition of the steel was not relevant because high-energy objects are usually made from low-grade metal (unalloyed steel) originating from different batches, different sources, different manufacturing locations and over different periods, which made it impossible to match the fragments found with reference material from an intact warhead.

32.  The Russian Federation proposed to include text that according to satellite pictures from the Russian Ministry of Defence a Ukrainian Buk M1 battery had been identified in the area of Zaroshchenskoye on 17 July 2014. The Dutch Safety Board stated that while this was relevant to the criminal investigation, its report did not deal with the location of weapons system in the area but only with identifying the cause of the crash.

33.  The Russian Federation criticised the report for having limited its consideration of air-to-air rockets to those used by Russia and Ukraine and insisted that the damage on MH17 could have resulted from an air-to-air rocket. The Dutch Safety Board replied that there was no evidence of weapons from other parts of the world being in the inventory of any party acting in the region. It also stated that the damage pattern observed on the wreckage could not be reproduced when a 40 kg warhead, typical of an air-to-air weapon, was simulated. The conclusion that the weapon used was not an air-to-air rocket had been duly justified.

(b)  The criminal investigation conducted by the Joint Investigation Team (“the JIT”)

34.  On an unspecified date a team of police officers and public prosecutors from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, under the coordination of prosecutors from the Netherlands, started a criminal investigation into the downing of flight MH17. Its purpose was to establish the facts, identify those responsible for the crash and collect evidence which could be used in court.

35.  This investigation was separate from that conducted by the Dutch Safety Board and ran in parallel. It is still pending.

36.  On 28 September 2016, the JIT presented the first results of its criminal investigation. The main conclusion of the JIT was that flight MH17 had been shot down by a BUK missile from the 9M38 series, which had been fired from an agricultural field in the area of Pervomaiskyi. At that time this area had been controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The missile from the 9M38 series had been fired by a BUK TELAR brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation and returned to the Russian Federation after use.

37.  In May 2018 the JIT presented additional results. The JIT concluded that the BUK TELAR that shot down flight MH17 had come from a unit of the Russian Federation’s armed forces – the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade or the 53rd Brigade from Kursk in the Russian Federation. At the presentation of May 2018 the JIT showed a venturi and a casing that had been found in Eastern Ukraine and asked for information about the numbers on these parts and the unit to which the missile (of which the venturi and the casing were part of) was supplied to. It also called for witnesses to come forward.

38.  During its investigation, in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the JIT requested information and legal assistance from the Russian authorities. It appears that the Russian authorities replied for the first time in 2018. In its public statements the JIT affirmed that it had never received a reply to its request specifically related to the numbers found on rocket parts. The JIT also stated that information publicly presented by the Russian Ministry of Defence was factually incorrect on several points, including the alleged presence of a fighter jet near the MH17 on radar images as presented at that Ministry’s press conference in July 2014.

(c)  Declarations by the Governments of the Netherlands and Australia

39.  On the basis of the conclusions reached by the JIT, in May 2018 the Governments of the Netherlands and Australia declared that they considered the Russian Federation responsible for the downing of flight MH17.

(d)  Official declarations of Government officials from the Russian Federation.

40.  The Government of the Russian Federation have repeatedly denied any responsibility for the downing of flight MH17. They have also confirmed that no investigations are ongoing in Russia into the cause of the downing, that Russia is opposed to a special international tribunal for the MH17 case and that no Russian suspect will be extradited in that connection.

41.  In October 2018 the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement affirming, inter alia, that the Russian authorities fully cooperated with the investigations, welcomed Dutch specialists and prosecutors in Moscow, made secret technical and factory data available to the investigation, transferred the results of a full-scale test, carried out by the producer of BUK missiles and provided raw radar images of the time of the tragedy. The Ministry further affirmed that it had provided irrefutable data and evidence of Ukraine’s involvement in the MH17 disaster, including regarding the question who owned the BUK missile concerned. It criticised the Netherlands authorities that they ignored valuable information and worked on a predetermined version of events based on the view that Russia was responsible.

(e)  Proceedings before the ICJ

42.  On 16 January 2017 Ukraine instituted proceedings against the Russian Federation in the International Court of Justice (“the ICJ”) with regard to alleged violations of, inter alia, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Ukraine requested the ICJ to establish, inter alia, that the Russian Federation had violated its obligations under that convention by supplying funds, weapons and training to illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine and that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility, by virtue of its sponsorship of terrorism and failure to prevent the financing of terrorism, for the acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine, including the shoot-down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. These proceedings are pending.

5.  Other factual allegations and material submitted by the applicants

43.  The applicants submitted, inter alia, numerous reports and publications by expert groups, media outlets, non-governmental organisations and individuals. This material covers topics such as, inter alia, the origins and development of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the Russian policies and involvement in this conflict, weapons systems used by belligerents in the region, witness accounts concerning the presence of Russian military personnel in the area, the presence and movement of a BUK missile system from Russia into Ukraine and back to Russia at the relevant period of July 2017, names and possible roles of Russian military personnel and pro-Russian separatists allegedly involved in the handling and firing of the missile that downed flight MH17.

44.  On the basis of the material submitted by them, the applicants made, inter alia, the following additional allegations on the facts.

45.  By mid-June 2014 the pro-Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine were not progressing well militarily. In early July 2014, separatist commanders, including Igor Strelkov, sent memos to the Russian authorities and to the President of the Russian Federation raising concern over growing risks to Russian interests in the ground war. These risks stemmed to a certain extent from Ukrainian military aircraft attacking separatist positions. In clear connection to these developments, there was movement of heavy armaments across the eastern Russian-Ukrainian border in June 2014.

46.  Many Ukrainian military aircraft, including larger ones such as AN30 and IL76, were shot down in Eastern Ukraine during May and June 2014.

47.  Between 22 June and 25 July 2014 military units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation conducted training exercises near the eastern Ukrainian border and close to a border crossing known as “the Stripe” and held by pro-Russian separatists.

48.  Just before 17 July 2014, Russian media allegedly controlled by the authorities, including NTV and Rossiya 24, broadcast reports of Russian BUK missile convoys on roads in and around the cities of Torez and Snezhnoye in the Donetsk region of Eastern Ukraine.

49.  There exists strong evidence, including eyewitnesses, photographs, geolocated photographs, video films, matching vehicle identification numbers and characteristics of the transport vehicle, allegedly demonstrating that a Russian BUK missile system with four missiles from the 53rd missile brigade of the Russian army moved on 15 and 16 July 2014 into Eastern Ukraine from Russia and, after the attack on MH17 on 17 July, moved back in the direction of the Russian border. The photographic and video material of the trip back to Russia showed that one out of the four BUK missiles was missing.

B.  Relevant international law

1.  The Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention).

50.  The Chicago Convention was signed on 7 December 1944. Almost all members of the United Nations Organisation, including, inter alia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, are parties thereto. The Convention has been revised eight times (in 1959, 1963, 1969, 1975, 1980, 1997, 2000 and 2006).

51.  The Convention provides for rules related to civil aviation and also for the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (“ICAO”), its powers and governing bodies. ICAO has become a specialized agency of the United Nations Organisation charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel.

52.  Articles 1 and 2 provide as follows:

Article 1
Sovereignty

“The contracting States recognize that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.”

Article 2
Territory

“For the purposes of this Convention the territory of a State shall be deemed to be the land areas and territorial waters adjacent thereto under the sovereignty, suzerainty, protection or mandate of such State.”

53.  Article 90 provides for the adoption of annexes to the Chicago Convention by ICAO’s Council (which consists of thirty-six contracting States including the States of chief importance in air transport, those making the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for civil air navigation and other States to ensure representation of the major geographical areas).  After adoption by the Council, the annexes are communicated to the contracting States and become effective unless a majority of those States disapproves.

54.  There are currently nineteen annexes containing standards and recommended practices. Annex 11 concerns air traffic services, including obligations on recording and communicating radar data. Annex 13 concerns the investigation of aircraft accidents and incidents. Annex 14 concerns aerodromes.

2.  The Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against The Safety of Civil Aviation (the Montreal Convention).

55.  The Montreal Convention of 1971, to which parties are almost all members of the United Nations Organisation, including, inter alia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, provides insofar as relevant:

Article 1

“1.  Any person commits an offence if he unlawfully and intentionally:

… (b) destroys an aircraft in service …

2.  Any person also commits an offence if he:

… (b)  is an accomplice of a person who commits or attempts to commit any such offence …”

Article 5

“1. Each Contracting State shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction over the offences in the following cases:

(a) when the offence is committed in the territory of that State;

(b) when the offence is committed against or on board an aircraft registered in that State; …

2.  Each Contracting State shall likewise take such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction over the offences mentioned in Article 1, paragraph 1 (a), (b) and (c), and in Article 1, paragraph 2, in so far as that paragraph relates to those offences, in the case where the alleged offender is present in its territory and it does not extradite him pursuant to Article 8 to any of the States mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article.

3.  This Convention does not exclude any criminal jurisdiction exercised in accordance with national law.”

Article 11

“1. Contracting States shall afford one another the greatest measure of assistance in connection with criminal proceedings brought in respect of the offences. The law of the State requested shall apply in all cases.

…”

COMPLAINTS

56.  The applicants in application no. 25714/16 complain under Article 2 of the Convention that the Russian Federation is responsible for the downing of flight MH17 and the death of their relatives on board, either directly or through the acts of Russian separatists under their control.

They further complain under Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention that the Russian Federation failed to discharge its obligation to conduct an investigation into the death of their relatives and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Russian Federation also failed to cooperate with the investigations led by the Dutch Safety Board and the Joint investigation team in the Netherlands.

57.  The applicants in application no. 56328/18 complain as follows:

(1)  Invoking Article 2 of the Convention, that there has been a substantive violation of that provision in that the Russian Federation was responsible for the downing of flight MH 17 through its army officers or other officials or by virtue of its control over and support for the Russian separatists’ forces, as well as because it had effective control and exercised some governmental power over the relevant part of the territory of Eastern Ukraine. In particular, it is alleged that, while knowing or being obviously in a position to know that civilian aircraft flew over the relevant area and could be reached by a missile fired from a BUK launching facility, the Russian Federation moved its BUK launch facility to the territory of Ukraine and was responsible for one of the following scenarios: (a) was actively involved in the decision to fire the BUK missile at the airplane; or (b) despite the presence of its military during the firing of the missile did not prevent the firing of the missile; or (c) made the BUK launching facility and missile available to the separatists’ forces without controlling its use; or (d) did not keep the BUK missile and launch facility under its control;

(2)  Invoking Article 2 of the Convention, that there has been a procedural violation of that provision in that the Russian Federation (i) did not adequately cooperate with the investigation conducted by international fact-finding committees, (ii) provided incorrect information to the JIT and (iii) failed to conduct an independent, adequate, prompt and reliable investigation;

(3)  Invoking Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the Convention that, by failing to cooperate in the international investigations and to conduct an adequate investigation in Russia, as well as by failing to provide information that could clarify who was responsible for the killing of the applicants’ close relatives, the Russian Federation directly caused the applicants to suffer anguish and a heavy burden, amounting to ill-treatment, and breached their right to respect for their family life;

(4)  Invoking Articles 2, 3, 6, 8 and 13 of the Convention, that the Russian Federation, by failing to cooperate in the international investigations and to conduct an adequate investigation in Russia, deprived the applicants of their right to an effective remedy and compensation.

QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES

1.  Can the applicants claim to be the victims of the alleged violations of the Convention? The applicants who have not indicated the name of their relative who died on board of MH17 and the level of kinship should do so.

2.  Do the alleged violations of the Convention and its Protocols fall within the “jurisdiction” of the Russian Federation within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention? In particular, did the Russian Federation exercise “authority and/or effective control” over the relevant eastern regions of Ukraine at the time of the downing of flight MH17, through their armed forces or a subordinate local administration or in collaboration with local armed forces? In this respect, what was the extent of the military and logistic Russian presence in July 2014? In addition, were agents of the Russian State involved, directly or indirectly, in the downing of flight MH17?

3.  Have the applicants complied with the requirements of Article 35 § 1 of the Convention?

4.  Has there been a violation of Article 2 in that the respondent State was allegedly responsible for the death of the applicants’ close relatives?

5.  Having regard to the procedural protection of the right to life (see paragraph 104 of Salman v. Turkey [GC], no. 21986/93, ECHR 2000-VII), has there been a breach of Article 2 of the Convention in relation to the alleged failure of the respondent State to investigate the downing of flight MH17 and their alleged failure to cooperate with the relevant international investigations?

6.  Have the applicants been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in breach of Article 3 of the Convention in that the authorities of the respondent State, by allegedly failing to investigate and cooperate with the relevant international investigations, caused them to suffer anguish and distress because of the lack of clarity as to the identity of those responsible for the death of their close relatives? Has there been a violation of Article 8 of the Convention in that regard?

7.  Has there been a violation of Article 13 of the Convention in conjunction with its Articles 2, 3 and 8 on account of the alleged lack of effective domestic remedies?

 

APPENDIX I

Application no.25714/16

Date of introduction – 6 May 2016

No. Last Name First Name Title English Date of Birth
1 Ayley Sharlene Ms 31/01/1981
2 Lauschet Tim Mr 28/02/1991
3 Dyczynski Jerzy Mr 06/04/1951
4 Dyczynski Angela Ms 01/04/1953
5 Samsuddin Salleh Mr 26/04/1960
6 Ibrahim Sharom Bee Binti Mohamed Mr 23/11/1956
7 Ismail Mohd Tarmizi Bin Mr 04/09/1973
8 Binti Modh Yusof Hasnah Mr 18/08/1943
9 Wong Kin Wah Mr 18/02/1972
10 Chong Yee Wan Mr 02/03/1968
11 Chong Seng See Ms 02/03/1971
12 Chong Shih Yen Mr 15/09/1964
13 Chong Yoon Loong Mr 16/07/1969
14 Yee Swee Yeng Ms 04/09/1942
15 Chong Yuk Sang Mr 16/10/1941
16 Abdullah Normi Binti Mr 05/02/1960
17 Geok Tan Bee Mr 06/09/1970
18 Mahdi Madiani Ms 06/11/1972
19 Malcolm Andrew Mr 21/09/1978
20 Malcolm Jane Ms 15/01/1977
21 Gibson Cassandra Ms 06/05/1990
22 Gibson Chelsea Ms 30/04/1993
23 Jackson Craig Mr 11/03/1962
24 Turnbull Robert Mr 17/04/1939
25 Turnbull Angela Ms 19/11/1940
26 Sturdee Cathy-Ann Ms 28/02/1969
27 Sidelik Hans Mr 10/03/1955
28 Baker Jeffrey Mr 16/06/1987
29 Baker Steven Mr 17/01/1989
30 Teoh Kooi Weng Mr 12/11/1956
31 Yim Lim Swee Mr 14/08/1962
32 Vern Evonne Teoh Ee Ms 28/07/1989
33 Teoh Qi En David Mr 25/11/1993

 

Date of introduction – 20 June 2018

No. Last Name First Name Title English Date of Birth
1 Bats Peter Alexander Mr 09/11/1973
2 Bats van Breda Jessica Ellen Ms 09/01/1975
3 Borgsteede Franciscus Mr 20/01/1939
4 Borgsteede-Wiersma Johanna Everarda Ms 06/05/1943
5 Borgsteede Ronny Franciscus Mr 25/02/1970
6 van Druten-Borgsteede Laura Maria Ms 17/06/1966
7 Bras Eric Jan Mr 12/09/1964
8 Djodikromo Sadimin Mr 28/08/1951
9 Djodikromo Warinih Doris Ms 17/12/1958
10 Djodikromo Nikolev Soenarto Mr 03/09/1976
11 Djodikromo Valeri Sumantri Ms 24/08/1984
12 Djodikromo Carol Instanti Sabrina Ms 12/03/1987
13 van Duijn Gijsbert Mr 28/01/1943
14 van Duijn Cornelia Quirina Ms 08/01/1941
15 van Duijn Nicole Karina Ms 13/12/1971
16 Chong Pirkko Liliane Ms 09/06/1955
17 Burr Eila Marilyn Ms 07/05/1956
18 de Kadt Emerentiana Josephina Ms 01/08/1926
19 Kamsma Eric Jacobus Bernardus Mr 11/02/1959
20 Kamsma Edwin Mr 23/01/1963
21 Kamsma Bernardus Jacobus Mr 11/07/1965
22 Keijzer Freek Mr 06/06/1961
23 Keijzer – Ten Heuvel Jacqueline Ms 10/11/1960
24 Keijzer Annebel Ms 23/01/1991
25 Keijzer Rutger Mr 23/01/1993
26 van Keulen Arjen Mr 14/03/1961
27 van Keulen Jennigje Margaretha Andrina Ariëtta Ms 12/05/1938
28 van Doorn Willy Elisabeth Ms 01/08/1929
29 van Doorn Elisabeth Veronica Ms 06/04/1961
30 van Noort Alida Johanna Ms 17/03/1936
31 van Langeveld Anthony Martin Mr 09/07/1964
32 Bartsen Ida Petronella Ms 29/01/1954
33 de Leeuw Arjan Willem Mr 02/05/1979
34 Misran Robert Rakiman Mr 02/04/1942
35 Misran-Resosemito Antijem Ms 30/03/1942
36 Misran Aniane Rosinie Ms 02/07/1965
37 Misran Annette Soerani Ms 26/04/1967
38 Misran Armand Rakijo Mr 15/10/1968
39 Misran Ardi Rakidie Mr 10/11/1970
40 Misran Astrid Soeratie Ms 04/06/1974
41 van Nielen Gerardus Cornelis Mr 12/10/1953
42 van Nielen Wilhelmina Cornelia Maria Lucia Geudens Ms 04/01/1955
43 van Nielen Martijn Willem Franciscus Mr 13/09/1987
44 Peereboom Dennie Jan Mr 26/12/1984
45 Pijnenburg Franciscus Antonius Mr 17/05/1956
46 Marinus Pim Mr 19/06/1991
47 Raap Roelof Mr 03/09/1956
48 Raap Sijbren Mr 08/04/1963
49 van der Sar Leendert Eliza Mr 04/04/1950
50 van der Sar – Lorier Cornelia Lena Ms 20/11/1950
51 van der Sar Daniel Mr 17/11/1977
52 van der Sar Lieselotte Ms 20/10/1983
53 van den Schoor Peter Mathij Mr 28/03/1959
54 van den Schoor Catharina Maria Gerarda Ms 29/11/1960
55 van den Schoor Rob Henricus Antonius Mr 05/01/1991
56 van der Schoot Anna Maria Theresia Ms 18/02/1967
57 Specken Reginald Jacques Wilhelmus Marie Mr 12/04/1950
58 Peusens Marie-Jeanne Mechtilde Josephine Ms 10/08/1950
59 Specken Michel An Ms 22/07/1985
60 Slok Jan Mr 24/03/1959
61 Soeltan Sharon Fazia Ms 09/09/1990
62 Soeltan Raoul Alexander Mr 19/10/1993
63 Wagemans Gustave Gerardus Marie Mr 27/06/1962
64 Dormans-Wagemans Johanna Maria Josefa Ms 03/04/1960
65 Wagemans Andreas Gerardus Marie Mr 28/02/1953
66 Wilhelmina Hubertina Maria Catharina Ms 24/11/1956
67 van der Weide Robert Mr 03/05/1931
68 de Leeuw Hendrica Gerarda Nida Ms 10/04/1938
69 van der Weide Richard Mr 08/01/1963
70 Hijmans Antonius Lambertus Mr 11/04/1927
71 Dirks e/v Hijmans Susanna Cornelia Eimerdina Ms 21/02/1928
72 Hijmans Madelon Antoinette Cornélie Ms 10/09/1952
73 Hijmans Ellen Jeanine Susanne Ms 26/10/1953
74 Hijmans Michel Dirk Matthijs Ms 25/04/1958
75 Hijmans Linda Geraldine Jeannette Ms 26/09/1959
76 Hijmans Richard Matthijs Anton Ms 13/10/1961
77 Huijbers Coenraad Jan Willem Mr 07/03/1955
78 Knoop-Huijbers Janine Femmy Ms 16/08/1958
79 Huijbers Annemieke Yvonne Ms 28/11/1983
80 Martens Johannes Peter Mr 02/08/1946
81 Martens Christiaan Martijn Mr 02/08/2010
82 Willems Johanna Agatha Wilhelmina Ms 29/07/1949
83 Nieveen Jan Mr 03/12/1947
84 Nieveen Lisette Ms 11/04/1974
85 Engelen Eline Ms 23/09/1982
86 Nieveen Jannieke Sietske Ms 06/10/1989
87 Nieveen Ilse Maria Ms 29/03/1991
88 Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Mr 20/02/1952
89 Quan Thi Phong Ms 25/01/1956
90 Nguyen Minh Quang Mr 20/02/1982
91 Pabellon Lilia Cabile Mr 19/01/1966
92 Pabellon Carale Erlinda Ms 05/04/1950
93 Pabellon Cabili Tirso Ms 23/09/1957
94 van der Steen Akke Ms 28/01/1972
95 van Der Steen Jacobus Hendrik Wilhelmus Bastiaan Mr 22/06/1965
96 van der Sande Alida Maria Theodora Wilhelmina Ms 20/01/1953
97 van der Sande Martinus Raphael Maria Mr 30/10/1959
98 van der Sande Willibrordus Martinus Maria Mr 03/06/1956
99 Timmers Dennis Petrus Martinus Mr 27/12/1982
100 Timmers Jolanda Henrica Johanna Ms 01/08/1985
101 van Grinsven-Timmers Sandra Johanna Stephani Ms 11/02/1981
102 Smolders Nicolaas Franciscus Leonardus Arnoldina Mr 13/01/1968
103 Smolders-van Hoof Anna Maria Arnoldina Catharina Ms 02/02/1944
104 Smolders Nicolaas Petrus Hubertus Mr 27/09/1943
105 Pfarrer Hillary Catharine Ms 15/04/1960
106 Meuleman Henri Willibrord Antonius Mr 31/05/1959
107 Wals Marieke Ms 07/08/1964
108 van Noord Anna Ms 09/04/1941
109 Ernst Wilhelmus Maria Mr 09/12/1946
110 van der Leij Leopold Theodurus Mr 29/09/1954
111 Kiezebrink Christiana Lutine Ms 09/11/1957
112 van der Leij Jessica Ms 13/03/1979
113 Gluckstern Eliane Antoinette Ms 29/09/1937
114 Hemelrijk Sylvia Ms 22/11/1970
115 Hemelrijk Anouschka Ms 28/09/1995
116 de Graaf Everardus Wilhelmus Theodorus Mr 10/02/1964
117 de Graaf Hendrina Sophia Theodora Ms 13/02/1990
118 de Graaf Johannes Pieter Willy Mr 07/05/1995 (06/05/1995 in app.form)
119 de Graaf Johannus Cornelis Nicolai Mr 19/04/1988
120 Brouwer-Lemaire Raymonde Anna Leonce Ms 13/12/1928
121 Brouwer Cécile Hyacintha Christine Ms 25/11/1970
122 Brouwer Hélène Cornelia Raymonde Ms 05/12/1962
123 Bakker Frederik Lambertus Mr 17/06/1951
124 Bakker Jakobus Mr 19/03/1958
125 Bakker Gert Leo Mr 17/05/1966
126 Vermeulen Judith Geraldine Maria Ms 22/01/1963
127 Vermeulen-Hopman Ellen Johanna Ms 24/08/1927
128 Vermeulen Eleonora Veritas Maria Ms 20/07/1958
129 Schoofs Rink Mr 30/03/1990
130 Fan Chi Yeung Mr 26/04/1984
131 Loh Ean Tin Ms 20/03/1965
132 Loh Ean Lee Ms 10/10/1961
133 Loh Kok Hong Mr 05/06/1969
134 Loh Loo Hwa Mr 21/06/1976
135 Loh Kok Wah Ms 30/05/1963
136 van Geene Jan Mr 02/06/1931
137 Schmidt-Golstijn Henderieka Katriena Ms 10/04/1940
138 de Rycker Geert Antoon Karel Leopold Mr 22/01/1954
139 Adler Enrico-Ricardo Alexis Mr 15/08/1959
140 Adler Feodorowich Larry Mr 22/03/1956
141 Adler Priscilla Felice Ms 02/01/1949
142 Kraay Willem Frans Mr 28/10/1938
143 Koch Kirsten Ms 02/04/1996
144 Koch Nils Mr 01/06/1994
145 van Eldijk-Kuijpers Wilhemlina Theodora Ms 27/09/1933
146 van Eldijk Antonius Johannes Maria Mr 15/04/1958
147 van Eldijk Johannes Wouter Maria Mr 02/02/1960
148 van Eldijk Wouter Antonius Wilhelmus Mr 13/08/1967
149 Brouwers Josephus Johannes Mr 24/03/1960
150 Brouwers-van Golde Anna Maria Petronella Ms 02/01/1940
151 Wiegel Gita Tryan Welyanda Putu Ms 16/12/2000
152 de Schutter Maarten Wim Mr 02/02/1999
153 de Schutter-Gijzen Jacoba Cornelia Maria Ms 09/10/1939
154 de Schutter Wilhelmus Johannes Maria Mr 14/11/1938
155 de Schutter Adriana Elisabeth Ms 11/10/1969
156 van Muijlwijk Frits Jan Mr 20/04/1952
157 Westhoff Johanna Ms 21/05/1953
158 van Muijlwijk Kelvin Lourens Gerardus Mr 14/04/1997
159 van Muijlwijk Lourens Gerardus Mr 03/02/1995
160 van Muijlwijk Marjef Ms 19/09/1977
161 Avnon Dov Mr 31/07/1957
162 Avnon-Boele Jeanne Jacomijntje Ms 06/12/1958
163 Avnon Jonathan Mr 07/01/1984
164 Avnon-Sarris Ruth Ms 21/09/1986
165 van Doorn Diederick Kristiaan Mr 24/10/1970
166 van Doorn Menno Ernst Mr 14/11/1939
167 Abeln e/v Van Doorn Sabine Marie Pauline Ms 27/08/1943
168 Dewa Shazelina Zaini Ms 24/05/1972
169 van den Hende Jakobus Gerardus Mr 17/02/1940
170 Wijngaard e/v van den Hende Wilhelmina Maria Ms 01/01/1940
171 van den Hende Francisca Maria Ms 11/04/1968
172 van den Hende Hendrika Elisabeth Ms 18/12/1969
173 van der Graaff Willem Gerardus Mr 15/06/1941
174 van der Graaff-van der Waal Agatha Wilhelmina Flora Ms 27/05/1947
175 van der Graaff Marnix Willem Mr 14/08/1981
176 Heerkens Joris Michael Gerardus Mr 08/05/1960
177 Heerkens Thomas Vincentius Maria Mr 05/04/1965
178 Heerkens Paul Gerardus Antonius Mr 21/07/1962
179 Witteveen Freek Gerrit Mr 31/07/1991
180 Witteveen Julie Mathilde Ms 16/06/1960
181 Witteveen Raoul Johannes Mr 14/06/1955
182 Jhinkoe Soenderpersad Mr 04/05/1959
183 Ramdien Dolawatia Ms 17/08/1966
184 Jhinkoe Radjan Wininder Mr 07/09/1990
185 Jhinkoe Raisheri Ashwini Ms 28/08/1996
186 Leermans Maria Adriana Ms 04/06/1942
187 Trugg Willem Désiré Joseph Mr 10/05/1946
188 van der Velden Antonetta Petronella Gerarda Ms 24/07/1951
189 Trugg Marc Willem Hendrik Mr 09/08/1972
190 Schneider Jolande Gerarda Maria Ms 16/07/1949
191 de Kuijer Johannes Christiaan Mr 07/01/1950
192 Lee Kok Chew Mr 22/12/1978
193 Lee Boo Kwang Mr 30/12/1941
194 Sek Kiew Far Ms 16/06/1945
195 Lee Kiah Kheng Ms 27/08/1971
196 Lee Kiah Hooi Ms 26/06/1972
197 Lee Kiah Yoong Ms 21/09/1973
198 Lee Kiah Hong Ms 15/09/1977
199 Liew Chau Seong Mr 14/11/1941
200 Yeong Loi Ho Ms 15/02/1949
201 Liew Huey Min Ms 03/05/1974
202 Liew Yau Lin Ms 20/02/1976
203 van der Linde Engelina Cornelia Ms 13/04/1954
204 van der Linde Gerhardus Evert Mr 10/08/1958
205 Mahler Hendrik Joseph Mr 27/02/1950
206 Willemsen Karola Marina Ms 09/03/1950
207 Mahler Jeroen Joost Mr 16/03/1984
208 Mahler Felix Tristan Mr 04/01/1989
209 Niewold Christiaan Hendrik Mr 13/08/1955
210 Niewold Ernst Martinus Michael Hendrik Mr 11/11/1984
211 Niewold Julian Johannes Albertus Mr 03/02/1986
212 Niewold Odulf-Benjamin Mr 29/10/1987
213 Niewold Astrid Maria Edith Cornelia Ms 05/01/1995
214 de Ridder Hendrikus Johannes Wilhelmus Mr 17/04/1937
215 de Ridder Remco Mr 19/01/1983
216 de Ridder Laura Elisabeth Ms 21/05/1986
217 van der Steen Maria Jacoba Ms 04/03/1968
218 Wesselink Chanouk Ms 27/04/1990
219 Marckelbach Paul Jurgen Mr 25/04/1975
220 Van der Meer Peter Eduard Mr 25/10/1967
221 Jesurun Hannele Suzanne Ms 08/05/1954
222 van Keulen Jacobus Cornelis Mr 07/07/1932
223 de Leeuw Adrianus Cornelis Theodorus Maria Mr 12/03/1948
224 Otter, den-Pijnenbur Elisabeth Huberta Joanna Maria Ms 24/10/1957
225 Chu Kok Chew Ms 01/01/1928
226 Dewa Zaini Bin Md Mr 20/06/1944
227 Abdullah Siti Dinah Binti Ms 05/10/1945
228 Dewa Sharil Zaini Mr 04/07/1975
229 de Kuijer Paulus Franciscus Johanna Maria Mr 20/08/1984
230 Stuhrmann Margarete Ms 06/01/1959
231 Niewold Lidwina Diotima Ms 29/10/1987

 

Date of introduction – 10 January 2019

No. Last Name First Name Title English Date of Birth
1 Dijkgraaf-Janssen Johanna Lena Ms 30/08/1936
2 Adriaanse-Janssen Johanna Lidia Ms 24/12/1961
3 Janssen Martin Willem Mr 17/06/1966
4 Mateman-Janssen Franciska Elena Ms 30/08/1972
5 Waldherr-de Haan Henrica Joanna Jeanne Ms 24/10/1958
6 de Haan Herman Gerardus Mr 14/10/1953
7 Bolhaar Johanna Dieka Ms 14/10/1926
8 de Haan Leonardus Reinerus Mr 13/01/1966
9 Anderson Joanna Marie Ms 13/03/1977
10 Ng Kok Eng Mr 27/11/1949
11 Van Zijtveld-Schardijn Grace Astrid Georgine Ms 25/05/1957
12 Van Zijtveld Evert Mr 27/11/1954
13 Ioppa Elena Ms 18/06/1970
14 Kenke Chris Willem Mr 02/07/1988
15 Kenke Denise Ms 10/10/1984
16 Oreshkin Serge Mr 09/05/1952
17 Oreshkin Vera Ms 04/09/1949

  

Application no.56328/18

Date of introduction – 23 November 2018

No. Last Name First Name Title English Date of Birth
1 Angline Ms 07/08/1989
2 Baaij Babs Petronella Ms 30/07/1975
3 Baaij Yoeki Vos Elisabeth Ms 21/03/2015
4 Besseler Fredrika Ms 04/01/1958
5 Camfferman Roxanne Ms 20/07/1990
6 Crolla Robert Mr 26/05/1961
7 Crolla Fleur Ms 18/03/1993
8 Essers Esther Ms 17/12/1981
9 Essers Eva Ms 21/12/1983
10 Essers Adrian Mr 26/09/1950
11 Everdink, Van Adriana Ms 24/11/1947
12 Florentinus Mignon Ms 06/02/1942
13 Hakse Richard Mr 15/03/1940
14 Hakse Richard Mr 12/12/1963
15 Heijningen, Van Robbert Mr 04/04/1957
16 Huntjens Marie Mr 04/07/1960
17 Kol Maria Ms 08/12/1947
18 Kroon Astrid Ms 30/06/1987
19 Kurver Joanna Ms 29/01/1948
20 Lam Herman Mr 14/07/1944
21 Lam Maria Ms 04/01/1928
22 Lambregts Willebrordus Mr 07/02/1979
23 Lambregts Sabine Ms 06/05/1976
24 Lambregts Antonius Mr 28/12/1946
25 Martens Richard Mr 28/03/1965
26 Martens Constantinus Mr 10/02/1938
27 Martens Constantinus Mr 30/06/1963
28 Mastenbroek Tosca Ms 21/12/1968
29 Meijer Hans Mr 23/01/1946
30 Nelissen Francisca Ms 14/08/1953
31 Nieburg Dorothea Ms 20/07/1951
32 Noto Molebatsi Mr 03/03/1958
33 Oost, Van Flint Mr 07/11/2001
34 Oost, Van Elisabeth Ms 22/03/1963
35 Paulus Marie Ms 14/08/1928
36 Ridder, De Sander Mr 31/05/1964
37 Risah Jackie Mr 25/05/1952
38 Roo, De Roy Mr 06/10/1973
39 Schilder Theodorus Mr 24/01/1988
40 Smallenburg Adriana Ms 10/07/1951
41 Smallenburg Charles Mr 27/05/1928
42 Souren Arno Mr 01/05/1983
43 Souren Reinier Mr 02/02/1987
44 Souren Anna Ms 17/03/1955
45 Stok Johanna Ms 26/02/1959
46 Stuiver Johannes Mr 04/09/1948
47 Stuiver Marian Ms 19/04/1990
48 Sutherland Alice Ms 06/03/1952
49 Tamtelahitu Jahja Mr 11/04/1980
50 Tensen Guda Ms 04/09/1933
51 Tol Catherina Ms 05/07/1979
52 Tongeren, Van Philip Mr 06/10/1950
53 Tongeren, Van Bart Mr 03/02/1988
54 Toonen Wilhelmina Ms 24/09/1950
55 Tournier Ellen Ms 14/05/1975
56 Uijterlinde Aplonia Ms 20/04/1957
57 Veldhuis Maria Ms 21/03/1938
58 Verhaegh Peter Mr 03/10/1955
59 Verhaegh Monique Ms 10/05/1980
60 Vranckx Maarten Mr 26/08/1988
61 Vranckx Willy Mr 09/10/1957
62 Vranckx Lianne Ms 12/08/1999
63 Vranckx Wouter Mr 07/06/1990
64 Vreeswijk, Van Marinus Mr 28/02/1968
65 Vreeswijk, Van Nick Mr 01/06/1995
66 Warta Steffie Ms 26/04/1965
67 Wels Camiel Mr 01/08/1970
68 Wels Robert Mr 24/07/1969
69 Zantkuijl Adriaan Mr 13/02/1951
70 Zantkuijl Mark Mr 12/01/1980
71 Baaij Jacob Johannes Mr 29/09/1947
72 Been e/v Ploeg Elisabeth Ms 21/10/1933
73 Chrystine Ms 20/12/1995
74 Chuah Peng See Ms 22/12/1961
75 Engels Jan Mr 28/10/1959
76 Heijningen, Van Leonardus Mr 13/04/1930
77 Keuning Hilda Ms 29/12/1959
78 Kraats, van De Anja Ms 22/12/1957
79 Kroon Louise Ms 14/08/1990
80 Meijer Sandra Ms 16/10/1973
81 Murtini Murtini Ms 02/05/1980
82 Ng  Siang Seng Mr 30/04/1961
83 Nieburg Julia Ms 27/11/1982
84 Ploeg Piet Mr 21/10/1958
85 Ploeg Frederik Mr 21/06/1933
86 Schelb Heidi Ms 06/12/1966
87 Sengers Maria Ms 29/11/1956
88 Tamtelahitu Naomi Ms 15/12/1983
89 Tan A In Ms 12/08/1968
90 Tournier Nanda Ms 17/01/1978
91 van Dijk Linda Ms 16/10/1952
92 Verbaas Desiree Ms 23/06/1982
93 Vos, De Walter Mr 10/11/1958
94 Ploeg Mirjam Ms 21/09/1991

 

Date of introduction – 28 January 2019

No. Last Name First Name Title English Date of Birth
1 Ploeg Sandra Elisa Ms 14/07/1996
2 Van Wiggen Barbara Ms 22/05/1978
3 Van Wiggen Jesse Mr 02/05/1974
4 Sukel Johanna Ms 02/06/1950
5 Chardome Veronique Franoise Louise Ms 29/10/1964

 

APPENDIX II

Application no.25714/16

List of annexes

Annex No. Description Page
1 Dutch Safety Board Final Investigative Report & Dutch Safety Board Main Addendum to Final Report & A Addendum V, W, X, Y and Z (Documents 1-7 came pre-consecutively #’d) p. 1-279
2 Bellingcat Computer Forensics Report, Sources of the Separatists BUK. p. 1-35
3 Putin War, Nemetsov, May 2015 p. 4-65
4 ARES/Armament Research Report #3 November, 2014 p. 1-78
5 Russia’s Path to War, Bellingcat, 2015 p. 1-67
6 How Social Sleuthing Uncovered Evidence of Surface to Air Missiles in Eastern Ukraine (with maps) published July 19,l 2014, Storyful.com p. 1-22
7 An Invasion By Any Other Name:The Kremlin’s Dirty War in the Ukraine, The Interpreter, Institute of Modern Russia, 2015 p. 1-84
8 Jerome L. Skinner’s Credentials(Documents 8-38 are consecutively numbered) p. 1-6
9 Compilations of Disinformation from European Union with sources identified p. 7-12
10 Bellingcat Individual Topic Reports, July, 2014 to November 2014. p. 13-134
11 Bellingcat Individual Topic Reports, January, 2015 to June, 2015 P. 135-287
12 Bellingcat Individual Topic Reports, October, 2015. p. 288-321
13 Bellingcat Individual Topic Reports, July to August, 2015 p. 322-402
14 Convention on International Civil Aviation December 7, 1944; Chicago Convention p. 403-453
15 Various news articles on Russian Federation derioals, UN security Council Veto, Operation Pawn Storm, Putin’s 70th Russion Journal Assembly p. 454-493
16 Dutch Safety Board Final Report; Page 146, Figure 64, Launch Area Simulation. p. 494-495
17 Igore (Girkin) Strelkov Tweets and Retweets. p. 496-524
18 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting. p. 525-539
19 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Items 22-16. p. 540-544
20 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data CardsItem 001. p. 545-547
21 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 003. p. 548-550
22 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0013. p. 1-7
23 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0017. p. 1-5
24 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0022. p. 6-10
25 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0100. p. 11-16
26 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0101. p. 17-19
27 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0103. p. 20-25
28 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0102. p. 26-29
29 Belllngcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting , Individual Data Cards Item 0105. p. 30-36
30 Bellingcat Filterable List of Equipment Sighting, Individual Data Cards Item 0106. p. 37-42
31 Articles from Rueter’s (2) which document Vladimir Putin’s Calculations. p. 43-47
32 Signed Sworn Statement of Eliot Higgins, Bellingcat Investigative Computer Forensics Analyst. p. 48-51
33 Pan Am 103 Memorandum of Understanding. p. 52-53
34 Letter to Russian Federation. p. 54-57
35 Signed Sworn Statement of James Hall, former Chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). p. 58-60
Sealed until Court review because of disclaimer of actual names and identities:
36 Separatist Convoy Linked to MH17 BUK Transport. p. 61-78
37 MH17-Potential Suspects and Witnesses from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. p. 79-199
38 Zip Drive Index
38 a. 0003 Troitsky: Buk convoy making a turning
38 b. 0017 Neznamovo: Buks on trailers near gas station
38 c. 0100 Donetsk: Buk photographed by Paris Match
38 d. 0101 Zuhres: Buk and other vehicles
38 e. 0102 Torez: Buk on a trailer
38 f. 0103 Snizhne Buk driving under its own power
38 g. 0104 Snizhne: Buk driving under its own power
38 h. 0105 Luhansk: Buk missing a missile
38 i. 0106 Donetsk: second photograph of Buk by Paris Match
38 J. DSB Accident Reconstruction Video Digital
39 (1) Images and Analysis for US GEO Eye 1 Satellite over Makiiuka on July 17, 2014. p. 1-8
39 (2) Allsource and Stratfor Data and Analysis.
40 Bellingcat Report/The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Publishes, “Their” Evidence of MH 17 fakery p. 1-22
41 Bellingcat Report/Post Russia’s War in the Ukraine:The Medals and Treacherous Numbers. p. 1-22
42 Bellingcat Report/Post MH17:The Open Srouce Investigation Two Years Later. p. 1-42
43 (1) Joint Investigative Team – JIT Presentation of Preliminary results of Criminal Investigation MH17 29/09/2016. p. 1-17
43 (2) JIT: Flight MH17 was shot down by a BUK Missile from farmland near Pervomaiskyi.
43 (3) MH17: Call for witnesses – English transcription.
43 (4) Three articles from Dutch Media.
43 (5) Affidavit from Jerome L. Skinner.
44 Email releases regarding russian plans for Ukraine and Russian presence in Ukraine and the Pre-attack Political and military escalation of hostilities in the Donbas Region June and July 1-17. p. 1-39
45 Bellingcat Report, March 2016, MH17 – routes, destinations and involvement of the 2nd and 147th Automobile Battalions in June and July 2014. p. 1-52
46 (1) Bellingcat Report:Identifying Khmuryi, the Major-General linked to the downing of MH17, posted February 15, 2017. p.1-24
46 (2) Bellingcat Report:The Role of Sergey Dubinsky in the Downing of MH17.
46 (3) Video electronic recordings of intercepted telephone conversations identified above on Page 1 of item 1 of Khmuryi Report above.Identifies Khmuryi as a Russian Officer confirms BUK and use of Russian crew. Digital
47 (1) Pre-MH17 photograph discovered.Note the clear transition in photos on Page 2 of this document from “332” to 3 () 2 to nearly blanked out in the July Paris match photo. p. 1-66
(2) Drivers of June and July BUK convoy trucks.
48 Applicants expert witness reports: p. 1-30
48 James Hall
48 Keneth Johnson
48 Eliot Higgins
48 David Satter
48 Vasyl V. Vovk
49 Photographs and videos from DSB Investigation, JIT Investigation and the Finland Army Anti-Aircraft Museum, BUK M1 and Telar Exhibit. Digital
50 Bellingcat Report on Russian Colonel General Identified as Key MH 17 Figure, Photos
and intercepted Telecommunications (hard copy and digital for intercepted Telecommunications)
Digital (50.2)
51 UK Governement Intelligence and Security Committtee of Parliament Report and British Intelligence Report on Source of MH 17 Murder Weapon
52 US State Department Report, Marking the Third Anniversary of the Downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17
53 New MH 17 Photograph Geolocated to Donetsk
54 The Open Source Investigatio, Three Years Later, Bellingcat Report
55 JIT Publishes New Photograph of Buk 332 from the Day of MH 17 Downing, Bellingcat Report
56 Pre-MH 17 Photograph of Russian Buk 332 Discovered, Bellingcat Report
57 Article from Dutch News on Ukrainian and Russian NOTAMS and copy of Russian Federation, Rostov FIR/ATC NOTAN V6158/14

 

Application no.56328/18

List of annexes in chronological orderof their submissionin accordance with the application and explanatory notes

  1. Explanatory notes to Sections E, F and G of this form p. 1
  2. UN Resolution 2166 United Nations Security Council p. 22
  3. Investigation report of the Dutch Safety Board p. 25
  4. Bellingcat report ‘MH 17, The Open Source Investigation Three Years Later’ p. 323
  5. Bellingcat report ‘MH17: Potential Suspects and Witnesses from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade’ p. 397
  1. Animation of flight MH17 MEMORY STICK
  2. Animation reconstruction air disaster MEMORY STICK
  3. Animation route convoy MEMORY STICK
  4. JIT: Presentation of the initial results of the criminal investigation MH17 28-09-2016; p. 516
  5. JIT: MH17 shot down by Buk rocket from agricultural field near Pervomaiskyi, 28 September 2016 p. 530
  1. Animation forensic examination MEMORY STICK
  2. Animation of the weapon MEMORY STICK
  3. JIT reaction to press conference Russian Ministry of Defence; p. 537
  4. Intercepted conversation 1 MEMORY STICK
  5. Intercepted conversation 2 June 2015, 14:02:13 hours MEMORY STICK
  6. JIT MH17 press meeting MH17, May 24, 2018 MEMORY STICK
  7. Bellingcat: ‘Tracking the Trailers: Investigation of MH17 BUK’s Russian Convoy’ p. 543
  8. Declaration of liability of the Russian Federation by the Netherlands and Australia p. 558
  9. ‘Russia under fire at UN over downing MH17’ p. 560
  10. UN News: ‘UN chief notes ‘with concern’ report holding Russia liable for downing airliner p. 564
  11. NRC: ‘Russian Ministry of Defence: Buk rocket that downed MH17 came down from Ukraine’p. 569
  12. Interview Ambassador Shulgin: ‘MH17 investigation is biased’ p. 574
  13. Interview Ambassador Shulgin Russia MH17 investigation is biased MEMORY STICK
  14. Interview Ambassador Shulgin Russian MH17 suspect will not be extradited MEMORY STICK
  15. Complete interview with Ambassador Shulgin MEMORY STICK
  16. Volkskrant: ‘Russia had nothing to do with bringing down MH17’- Putin continues to deny, despite JIT investigation p. 580
  17. RTL Nieuws: ‘Russia: discussion about MH 17 should focus on Ukraine’s liability’ p. 593
  18. JIT: ‘Radar experts confirm earlier conclusion JIT’ p. 600
  19. Volkskrant: ‘Russia shows radar images: ‘MH17 not shot from rebel-held area’ p. 604
  20. Trouw: ‘Why Russia does not admit mistakes and does not admit guilt about MH 17’ p. 611
  21. RF press conference on the MH17 disaster MEMORY STICK
  22. Volkskrant: International Court of Justice examines whether Russia is guilty of downing MH17’ p. 616
  23. Documents complaints procedure Ukraine against Russia submitted to ICJ, 19 April 2017p. 622
  24. Documents complaints procedure Ukraine against Russia submitted to ICJ, 1 October 2018 p. 641
  25. Bellingcat: ‘BUK launch site data in the Dutch Safety Board’s MH 17 Investigation’ p. 644
  26. JIT: MH17 shot down by Buk rocket from agricultural field near Pervomaiskyi, 28 September 2016 p. 654
  1. JIT: ‘Update criminal investigation MH17 disaster’ p. 660
  2. Bellingcat: ‘Name of general involved in BUK rocket MH17 known’ p. 666
  3. Bellingcat: ‘Russian Colonel General Identified as key MH17 figure’ p. 669
  4. Volkskrant: ‘Bellingcat: highly placed Russian army officer main suspect in MH17 case’ p. 711
  5. MH17 – Russian GRU commander ‘Orion’ Identified as Oleg Ivannikov’ p. 718
  6. European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2012 on the political use of justice in Russia (2012/2789(RSP)) p. 734
  7. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers of 30 April 2014 (A/HRC/26/32/Add.1) p. 738
  1. European Parliament resolution of 12 March 2015 on the murder of the Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and the state of democracy in Russia (2015/2592 (RSP) p. 760
  1. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, 25 February 2016, ‘As long as the judicial system of the Russian federation does not become more independent doubts about its effectiveness remain’ p. 767
  1. European Parliament resolution of 6 April 2017 on Russia, the arrest of Alexei Navalny and other protestors (2017/2646(RSP) p. 770
  2. Concluding observations of the UN Human Rights Committee 2 April 2015 of the review issued by the Russian Federation p. 776
  1. Recommendations UN Human Rights Committee p. 780
  2. News article Lawyers for Lawyers, showing that lawyers in the Russian Federation experience inappropriate interference, obstruction and intimidation in their work p. 793
  3. News article Raam op Rusland: ‘The Russian court is a nightmare’ p. 797
  4. News article Lawyers for Lawyers, showing that lawyers in the Russian Federation experience inappropriate interference, obstruction and intimidation in their work p. 815
  1. News article Lawyers for Lawyers, showing that lawyers in the Russian Federation experience inappropriate interference, obstruction and intimidation in their work p. 819
  1. News article Lawyers for Lawyers, showing that lawyers in the Russian Federation experience inappropriate interference, obstruction and intimidation in their work p. 823
  1. News article NRC: ‘State manipulates judge in Russia’ p. 827
  2. Article NL Times ‘MH17 relatives entitled to millions in damages: U.S. court’ p. 832

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *