Elsie Lange
It’s been more than eight years since Sunbury siblings James and Vanessa Rizk’s parents, Albert and Maree, were killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
Following a lengthy trial, a court in the Netherlands found two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist guilty of murder, sentencing them to life in prison for the attack which killed all 298 people on board.
The trio was convicted in absentia while a third Russian defendant was acquitted.
The Rizk siblings spoke to Channel 9’s Today Show from Amsterdam following the conviction and said it had been an exhausting day.
“It’s not a normal murder trial, let alone a mass murder trial, that’s within a political crisis, so it’s also very foreign that we were in the court today where the perpetrators weren’t present,” Ms Rizk said.
“However, it was definitely reassuring when the judge did give us a guilty verdict for three of the four perpetrators, and I think that’s definitely a step in the right direction.
“The emotions were pretty up and down, very rollercoaster, very intense rehashing what the last eight years have entailed.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called on Russia to surrender the convicted men so they could be sentenced for their “heinous crime”.
“We would say to Russia, the world knows that you’re harbouring murderers and that says something about you (president) Putin,” she said.
Ms Wong said the trial “delivered justice and delivered truth” for the families of those on board and confirmed Russia’s responsibility for the attack.
“These verdicts matter because they confirm the truth,” she said.
Ms Rizk said while justice was unlikely to be served, it was important to know Russia was accountable.
“We can’t change the situation, we can just persevere and get on with our lives as best as we possibly can, in the way we know our mum and dad would have wanted,” she said.
“Of course we want someone accountable and of course we want Russia to admit guilt, it was wonderful and reassuring to hear the judge saying in a court of law that they were guilty.”
– with AAP
