MH-17 Victims’ families confront both Trump and Putin

Posted on November 9, 2018 by admin in Letters to leaders // 0 Comments

Families of victims of Flight MH17 have recently written President Trump. Working group Truth finding MH17 is asking for Trump’s help, following news that he will meet with President Putin later this month. With their letter, they call out both Trump and Putin. The letter was sent through American ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr Pete Hoekstra.

In “multiple obvious attempts by Russian officials to cover up” what happened to flight MH-17, the working group draws parallels with the mysteries surrounding the murder on Jamal Khashoggi. President Trump recently called this “one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups”. Referring to his own words, they ask if the Russian behavior is not in the same category and demands a similar reaction, pressing for the truth and not accepting any cover-ups. “If a single innocent life calls for this, two hundred and ninety eight, including one US citizen, certainly qualify.”

The families ask Trump to discuss the matter in his upcoming meeting with President Putin. “Putin has answers we are entitled to hear”, they write. They call on Trump to convince Putin “it is never too late for redemption. Honoring our loved ones, for the good of this world.”

Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014 but perpetrators have yet to be identified. Australia and The Netherlands officially hold Russia accountable for their role in the tragedy that killed 298, including 196 Dutch citizens. Russia has not yet responded. The Working group Truth finding represents some thirty families of victims.

The full letter is included below.

Wassenaar/New York City, October 28, 2018
To the President of the United States of America

Dear Mister Trump,

Receiving news on a possible meeting between you and President Putin of Russia, we feel compelled to write to you. We are some thirty families of victims of Flight MH-17, shot down over Ukraine in 2014.

Recently you labelled the murder on Mister Jamal Khashoggi as ‘one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups’. Acknowledging we do not have all the facts here, we feel you may be right. As long as we can also agree on the fact that the enduring cover-up for 298 murders on all MH-17 passengers and crew, is in the same category. No responsibility has been taken, by anyone. Instead, several obvious attempts have been made to cover up what really happened on that horrific summer’s day. Attempts by Russian Federation officials, backed and repeated by President Putin.

Although we still cannot know what the exact Russian Federation’s role was, they have floated multiple versions of what must have happened – versions that have all have been refuted by the facts we do know, as well as by evidence provided by the Joint Investigating Team. We understand that confidential intelligence available to your government also fully sustains this notion.

In the recent tragic and brutal murder of Mister Khashoggi the world has reacted accordingly, pressing for the truth and not accepting any cover-ups. We hope that you agree that if a single innocent life calls for this, two hundred and ninety eight, including one US citizen, certainly qualify.

President Putin seems to work hard for regaining respect for the Russian people, and for himself to go down in history as a great statesman. If he truly is such a person, he must understand that that cover-up stories, especially the obvious ones in serious crimes such as the attack on MH-17, work against achieving that goal.

As families we have a right to know what happened to our loved ones. We call on you Sir, in assisting us in our rightful quest. President Putin has answers we are entitled to hear. We call on you, to try and convince him that it is never too late for redemption. Honoring our loved ones, for the good of this world.

– Working group Truth-finding MH-17

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