Australia and the Netherlands are still holding diplomatic talks with Russia that could pave the way for litigation over the MH17 disaster, a victims' spokesman says.
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Russian Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Ukranian Leonid Kharchencko are on trial in the Netherlands for the murder of 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine on July 17, 2014.
Piet Ploeg, who lost his brother, sister-in-law and nephew in the disaster acts as a spokesman for many of the victims, which included 38 people who called Australia home.
He's told a Ukrainian news agency that diplomatic talks between the three countries are still underway after being initiated in March 2019.
"These conversations are also a prerequisite for possible litigation in the future," Mr Ploeg told Ukrinform on Monday.
"It will probably only be possible if the negotiations do not lead to agreement.
"However, I would not be surprised if proceedings are launched against the Russian Federation in the International Criminal Court in the future."
He also praised the Dutch Public Prosecution Service for decisively charging the four men, who are accused of coordinating the Buk-TELAR missile launcher used to the down the plane.
But Mr Ploeg admits he's uncertain about how the District Court of the Hague will rule on the case.
"Personally, I still do not know what the result will be like. Undoubtedly, the public prosecutor's office will provide overwhelming evidence, but in the end, their assessment falls within the prerogative of the court," he said.
"Of course, I hope that the prosecution will bring the real culprits to account and that will eventually lead to conviction. But we have to wait and see."
Australian Associated Press
