Seeing Through the Propaganda, Families of Germans Killed in MH17 Crash to Sue Ukraine

Ukraine should have closed its airspace if it couldn’t provide for the safety of flights over its territory, Elmar Giemulla, a professor of aviation law representing the three families of German victims, told Bild am Sonntag, a German Sunday newspaper.

“Each state is responsible for the security of its air space,” Giemulla said. “If it is not able to do so temporarily, it must close its air space. As that did not happen, Ukraine is liable for the damage.”

According to Giemulla, by leaving the airspace open, Kiev authorities “destroyed”the lives of hundreds of innocent people. Thus, Ukraine committed human rights violations, he concluded.

He said at least one million euros should be paid to each family of the German crash victims.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over eastern Ukraine on July 17. Among the 298 victims killed in the incident were four German citizens.

A preliminary report into the disaster delivered by Dutch investigators on September 9 said that the MH17 crash was a result of structural damage caused by a large number of high-energy objects striking the Boeing from the outside.