Australia welcomed a Dutch court conviction of three men over the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 On July 17, 2014, MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australians

On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) welcomed a Dutch court’s conviction of three men in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.

Two Russian men and a Ukrainian man were sentenced to life in prison in absentia by Dutch judges on Thursday for their roles in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australians.

Albanese stated at a press conference on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok.”We welcome The Hague District Court finding of three men being guilty of murder over the downing of MH17.”

He added, “We’ve gone through this legal and court processes and we call upon Russia to hand over for justice the people who are involved in this and who’ve been found to be guilty in absentia.” On July 17, 2014, the Malaysian airliner took off from Amsterdam on its way to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

The decision came as a relief to the victims’ families, more than 200 of whom attended the court in The Hague, wiping away tears as the verdict was read.