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From Our Own Correspondent: Flight MH17: Victims’ families share their stories

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Flowers and a teddy bear sit on part of Malaysia Airlines plane MH17

02/10/2021 GMT

Flight MH17: Victims’ families share their stories

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Flight MH17: Victims’ families share their stories

On trial but absent: The men accused of shooting down Flight MH17

Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, apparently by a ground-to-air missile, and 298 died. Four men are on trial in the Netherlands, but the dock is empty, with none yet caught.

Stories from the Netherlands, Palestinian Territories, Libya and India.

What is the point of having a criminal trial when the defendants are not in the dock? That is what is happening at a court close to Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, from where flight MH17 took off in July 2014, bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The plane crashed, apparently brought down by a ground-to-air missile over Ukraine. The four people accused of murder in this case are alleged to have been pro-Russian fighters, and Russia has refused to extradite them. Yet Anna Holligan found that for relatives of those killed, the proceedings in court have a very real purpose.

A court in the Palestinian Territories currently has a dock that’s rather packed. Fourteen members of the security services are on trial, accused in connection with the death of a local political activist, Nizar Banat. He had repeatedly alleged corruption and mismanagement by members of the Palestinian Authority, and found himself under arrest. That same day, he was taken to hospital, and declared dead – from natural causes the arresting officers insisted. Yolande Knell has met Banat’s family, and talked to Palestinian officials about the case.

What can a journalist do when people won’t speak to them? That was the problem which faced our reporter, Tim Whewell when he returned to Libya recently. It was 10 years since he had covered the overthrow of Colonel Ghaddafi, and he tried to contact the people he had met back then. Many did not respond at all, and those who did said they were too scared to talk to a reporter. So what does that say about the state of Libya today?

The COP26 summit has been described as a last ditch effort to save the planet, with countries under severe pressure to curb their fossil fuel emissions. There is particular pressure on India, with its vast population and fast-growing economy. More than that, India still relies on coal for energy, which produces more CO2 than other fuels. So can the country kick its coal habit? Rajini Vaidyanathan has been meeting people there who have their doubts.

(Image: Flowers and a teddy bear sit on part of Malaysia Airlines plane MH17.  Credit: Bukent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images)

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