On Thursday Malaysia informed the UN Security Council that it would be seeking a UN-backed tribunal to prosecute those suspected of being responsible for shooting down a passenger airliner last year in eastern Ukraine.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 was shot down in July last year with 298 passengers on board, crashing in Ukrainian territory held by Russian separatists. Ukraine and some Western powers have accused Russia of supplying the missile rebels allegedly used to shoot down the airliner. Russia has denied these accusations and diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity have said that Russia views Malaysia’s move as premature.
The President of the UN Security Council for July, New Zealand's U.N. Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, informed the press that Malaysia intends to present a proposal for the tribunal to the Security Council. "They are seeking to find a mechanism to deal with criminal accountability in relation to the downing of the aircraft," he said. He reported that it is a joint proposal between Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ukraine.
Currently the Netherlands is leading the multi-national investigation into the crash, while Russia has also deployed its own investigators.
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