Human rights trial against Russia over downing of flight MH17 to go ahead

The image of one of the suspects in the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 is displayed in 2019 by international investigators. Evidence compiled will now be considered by the European court of human rights. Photograph: Eva Plevier/Reuters

Human rights judges have said cases against Russia for the shooting down of flight MH17 and other alleged war crimes can proceed to trial, as they ruled that separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine were under the effective control of the Russian Federation.

All 298 people onboard the Malaysian airlines flight travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed when it was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile while flying over eastern Ukraine in 2014 during the war in Donbas.