Mother of German MH17 victim takes Ukraine to human rights court

The mother of a victim of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has begun legal proceedings against Ukraine at the European Court of Human Rights. She accused Kiev of failing to close the country’s airspace because it did not want to lose out on overflight fees, Bild newspaper said Sunday. The woman, who lodged her complaint at the Strasbourg-based court “last week”, is suing Ukraine for $1 million in damages for negligent homicide.

By keeping its airspace open for transit by aircraft from other countries, the state must ensure the safety of the flights. If this is temporarily impossible, it means that it should close its airspace.

Lawyer Elmar Giemulla to AFP in September

Bild added that at the time of the incident in July, some 700 flights were thought to be crossing Ukrainian territory per day, bringing in several millions of dollars a month in revenue. The Boeing 777 exploded over insurgent-held east Ukraine on July 17, killing all 298 on board, 193 of them Dutch. Four were German. The woman is being defended by German lawyer Elmar Giemulla, a professor of aviation law.

World mother mh17