MH17 trial needed to establish justice - Czech Foreign Ministry

"This is an important milestone towards establishing the truth and achieving justice for the victims of this tragedy and their next of kin and holding those responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 to account," the statement said.

The Czech Republic welcomes the start of the criminal trial in this case and expresses its full confidence in the Dutch judiciary and its independence and professionalism of the legal procedures.

In addition, the Czech Republic calls upon all states, including Russia, to cooperate fully with the investigation, in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2166.

The criminal trial in the MH17 crash started at the Schiphol judicial complex in the Netherlands on March 9.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died.

The Joint Investigation Team reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk.

In May 2018, the Netherlands and Australia officially accused Russia of involvement in the MH17 crash.

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