At the end of the trial for the downing of passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, the accused Russian Oleg Pulatov protested his innocence. “I am not guilty. I have nothing to do with the July 17, 2014 disaster,” he said in a video message.
With this statement, the trial of four former leading pro-Russian rebels ended on Friday before the criminal court at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after more than two years. All four are fugitives. A verdict is not expected before November.
The plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All 298 people on board were killed. The indictment calls for life imprisonment.
Pulatov is the only one of the accused to be represented in court. He accused the prosecution of “unfounded allegations”. “I too think it’s important for the truth to come out,” he said. His defense attorneys had pleaded for acquittal. You spoke of large gaps in the investigation. The accusers are biased and biased.
