Australia imposes sanctions on 3 people over 'downing' Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

ustralia on Saturday imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on three people involved in the "downing" of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong said that her country is working closely with the Netherlands and European Union to coordinate sanctions on those who were convicted by the District Court of The Hague in November 2022 for their contribution to the "downing of Flight MH17."

"Today's sanctions target Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko, who were both found guilty by the District Court of The Hague. The third convicted perpetrator Igor Girkin, was sanctioned by Australia in 2014 for supporting separatist activity in eastern Ukraine," said Wong.

Canberra also sanctioned Sergey Muchkaev, a colonel with the Russian Armed Forces who in July 2014 was the Commander of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, which according to the statement supplied the Buk-TELAR that downed Flight MH17.

MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down above eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All 298 on board were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens.

In 2022, a court in the Netherlands awarded life sentences to three people including Russians Sergey Dubinskiy and Igor Girkin, as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, who were found guilty of causing the crash while another Russian, Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted on all charges.

However, Moscow had rejected the verdict and called it the "scandalous" decision by a Dutch court announced under unprecedented pressure and denied any involvement in the downing of the jet.