MH-17: The next step is to identity those responsible0:23
On ABC Insiders, Julie Bishop shares her stance on where the investigation on Flight MH-17 should go next. CREDIT: ABC Insiders
Lockerbie-style international tribunal could bring MH17 perpetrators to justice says Julie Bishop
FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop says she would consider supporting a Lockerbie style international tribunal to bring the perpetrators of the MH17 downing to justice.
And she says “Russia has questions to answer” after an interim report on the downing of the plane found the Buk missile that hit the aircraft came from Russia and the truck carrying it returned to Russia.
The minister has not ruled out going back to the United Nations to get it to set up a body that could prosecute the 100 people found to be implicated in the missile launch but she says Russia is likely to veto it.
“The next step is to identify those responsible, the chain of command within the Russian military and all those who were involved in making the decision and actually operating that missile,” she said.
“The list of those that we believe should be held accountable will be confirmed and then there must be a prosecution,” she said.
“There can be a Lockerbie style prosecution, a tribunal that’s set up by the international community or there can be domestic prosecutions in say the Netherlands and as long as they had the powers of extradition and the like, a prosecution could be mounted successfully in a domestic jurisdiction,” she told ABC’s Insiders program.
MH17 animation
And opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong has offered bipartisan support to bring the MH17 perpetrators to justice.
“Fundamentally what we want is the perpetrators brought to justice and as I said, your starting position is the world community should act,” Senator Wong said.
“But if Russia moves to prevent that, we should not allow that to prevent further action. Every avenue and every prospect of a tribunal should be explored. It would have to have sufficient powers to ensure extradition and enabling those who are responsible to face justice,” she said.
The Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down over the Ukraine in July 2014 killing 298 passengers and crew including 38 Australians.
An interim report released last week identified 100 persons of interest in connection with the missile attack.
In 1988 in the Lockerbie bombing Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up while flying over Scotland and a Scottish court was set up in the Netherlands to convict two Libyans involved in the attack.
Originally published as Bishop: Bring MH17 villains to justice