International Petition Calls for Independent Inquiry into Malaysia Airlines Plane Crash

Moscow (PNA/RIA Novosti) — New York director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) Alice Slater has drafted a petition for the organization of an independent inquiry into the Malaysia Airlines plane crash in Ukraine and has called for diplomatic dialogue to resolve important issues.

“The international investigation should factually determine the cause of the accident and hold responsible parties accountable to the families of the victims and the citizens of the world who fervently desire peace and a peaceful settlement of any existing conflicts,” Slater told RIA Novosti.

The petition notes that Resolution 2166, passed by the UN Security Council with the agreement of the United States and Russia, demanded accountability, full access to the crash site and a halt of military activity in the region, but has been disregarded.

“They [Russia, Ukraine, NATO members] must engage in diplomacy and negotiations, not war and hostile alienating actions,” the foundation’s director said.

It is also said that the inquiry should include an unbiased presentation of the factors that led to the deterioration of US-Russia relations as the Ukrainian crisis unfolded.

The petition is addressed to the heads of states of NATO countries, Russia, Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of states of countries on the UN Security Council. It is signed by 71 experts, professors and nongovernmental organization members from the United States, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, among other countries.

On July 17, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board. The cause of the crash is still not clear, with the Ukrainian government placing the blame on independence supporters in the country’s eastern regions while the latter deny any involvement.

Fighting between both sides has hindered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. (PNA/RIA Novosti) FPV/RSM