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3 criminals sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting down the Malaysian airliner in the airspace of Ukraine

 Amsterdam: The Dutch court has sentenced two Russians and a Ukrainian man to life imprisonment in the case of shooting down the Malaysian Airlines in Ukrainian airspace.

It should be noted that on July 17, 2014, Malaysian Airlines MH17 was shot down in the airspace of eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew.

Dutch judges convicted him of murder for his role in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight and sentenced him in absentia to life in prison, while a fourth man was acquitted, according to international media.

The victims' families stood in the courtroom, sobbing and wiping away tears as Steinhuis read the verdict. The three men convicted include former Russian intelligence agents Igor Gerkin and Sergei Dubinsky, and Ukrainian separatist leader Leonid Kharchenko.

The trio helped arrange the transport to Ukraine of the Russian military BUK missile system that was used to shoot down the plane. All the criminals are fugitives and are believed to be in Russia, with extradition unlikely.