The United Nations aviation council on Friday voted to hear a case against Russia over the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, the foreign ministers of Australia and the Netherlands said.
Australia and the Netherlands initiated the action over MH17 last year at the International Civil Aviation Organization . The passenger jet was struck over rebel-held eastern Ukraine by what international investigators and prosecutors say was a Russian-made surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people on board.
The ICAO upheld its jurisdiction to hear the matter during a session on Friday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a written statement. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra called the decision to hear the case "an important step towards establishing the truth, justice and accountability".
Russia has denied any involvement in the incident, and Russia's ICAO delegation was not immediately available for comment. While the outcome at ICAO is uncertain, experts said the move may be seen as a further way to force Russia into negotiations over the incident.
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