KUALA LUMPUR, 29 July: The downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 aircraft in eastern Ukraine “may amount to a war crime”.
The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said that the UN condemned the “horrendous shooting down” of the Malaysian passenger jet in the rebel-held territory, which killed all 298 people on board.
She demanded a “thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation.”
“This violation of international law, given the prevailing circumstances, may amount to a war crime.
“Every effort will be made to ensure that anyone committing serious violations of international law, including war crimes will be brought to justice, no matter who they are,” said Pillay in a statement Monday.
MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 298 people – 283 passengers and 15 crew – on board. The plane was believed to have been shot down.
According to AFP, the Red Cross officially said last week that Ukraine was now in a civil war – a classification that would make parties in the conflict liable to prosecution for war crimes.
— BERNAMA
NS
