Relatives of those killed when MH17 was shot down mark 10 years since tragedy that claimed 298 lives

(17 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amsterdam - 17 July 2024
1. Pan shot of memorial trees for MH17 victims
2. Various photos of the victims with the memorial trees
3. Tilt up shot from nameplate to a photo of a victim
4. Close-up of victim's photo
5. Various of family members attending the 10th anniversary of MH17 plane crash
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Evert van Zijtveld, family member of victims:
"It is a black day, so we have, what you saw here, but it is not other than the last year and the year before, so, what is very important is that we mentioned the names of the loved ones by the people, parents, or the other people and that is very important. And it is very important that we remember them and that we go to the trees, because we have a tree for all our, our children and parents and all, and that is very important to be here."
7. Pan of memorial trees for the victims
8. Photo of a victim
9. Family member putting sunflower under the tree
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Anton Kotte, family member of victims:
"I lost three of my kids, and I am 10 years further on in my life, and they missed 10 years of their lives, it is so unjustified for me that I am still here and they are killed by war action, and that is very emotional for me. I am 80 years old now, and they were in middle of their lives with good jobs and good education for the kids, you know it is awful what they did in Russia."
11. Various of Dutch Prime minister, Dick Schoof talking with victims' family members
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dick Schoof, Dutch Prime minister:
"We are always hoping for it, we also want after the decision in the justice court in The Hague, we hope of course to get people in the detention as well, but it is fair to say that Russia is not helping, so we are hoping, but it's going to be very difficult, but to proceed as I mentioned, I am sure that we will proceed very long on that one.
Reporter asking: 'You are not going to give up?' Schoof: "We are not going to give up, certainly not, no."
13. Various of Dutch King Willem-Alexander talking to members of victims' families
STORYLINE:
Grieving families recited the names and ages Wednesday of all 298 passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago, as they marked the anniversary of the tragedy at a solemn ceremony near Amsterdam.

“It's a black day,” said Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his daughter and son, Frederique, 19, and Robert-Jan, 18, along with their grandparents.

“What’s very important is that we mentioned the name of the loved ones ... and it’s very important that we remember them,” he added.

Commemoration services took place Wednesday in the Netherlands, Australia and the site of the crash in the Russia-controlled part of the Donetsk region, as the war in Ukraine raged on.

Hundreds of family members were joined by joined Dutch King Willem-Alexander, politicians and diplomats at a memorial in the Netherlands close to Schiphol, the airport the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777 departed from on July 17, 2014.

Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus represented his country at the Dutch memorial site, where 298 trees commemorate each victim.

Many of the families carried sunflowers like those that grew at the scene of the crash, and laid them next to trees.

Flags of the countries that lost citizens hung at half-staff next to a field of blooming sunflowers.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof pledged to keep up the fight to hold accountable those responsible.




Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility.


AP video by Ahmad Seir Nassiri



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