Amsterdam, March 31, (dpa/dpa) – In the trial of four pro-Russian rebels who allegedly shot down flight Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), killing 298 people, the defence has called for one of the defendants to be acquitted at the Schiphol Judicial Complex in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
None of the four suspects is present for the trial, where the prosecution is demanding a life sentence.
The accused Oleg Pulatov did not issue the order to shoot the Boeing aircraft, and also did not “press the button” himself, said the defence lawyer, Sabine ten Doesschate.
She criticized the investigations sharply, calling them prejudiced and one-sided, and adding that the evidence for the origin of the weapon is patchy.
The Malaysia Airlines plane en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down in July 2014 above eastern Ukraine, which was already a disputed area back then.
International experts and investigators found the plane had been shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile of the Buk type.
All 298 people aboard the plane were killed. As most victims were Dutch, the trial is taking place in the Netherlands.
The prosecution is expected to respond to the defence in May, with a verdict expected in Autumn.
GNA