Malaysia Airlines MH17 trial begins at The Hague with victims’ families desperate for justice
- MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists in July 2014, killing 298 people. Even after years of investigation, no one knows why
- The Hague trail begins on Monday, with four men charged with murder. They will not appear in court but victims’ families hope evidence brings closure
On the outskirts of Amsterdam near Schiphol Airport, a field of withered sunflowers lies at the entrance to the MH17 National Monument, a desolate sight on a cold spring morning.
Piet Ploeg, chairman of the MH17 Disaster Foundation that is backed by the Dutch government and provides support for victims’ next of kin, explains that the plane crashed in a sunflower field and so it is apt that they feature at the monument, which opened three years after the tragedy.
But it is not necessarily a sight that Ploeg, who lost his brother, sister-in-law and nephew in the crash, appreciates.
“Before MH17, I liked sunflowers very much but after MH17 I have hated sunflowers because they bring back very sad memories. I really don’t like to see sunflowers,” said Ploeg.
Like Ploeg, families of the victims – including 193 Dutch and 43 Malaysian citizens – are hoping to learn more about the events leading to a missile striking the plane on July 17, 2014.