KIEV: A court in Ukraine on Thursday released from pre-trial detention a man suspected of involvement in the downing of flight MH17, amid speculation he might be used in a prisoner swap with Russia.
Ukraine captured Vladimir Tsemakh, accused of fighting for pro-Russian separatists, in June, but he is believed to be a person of interest in the downing of MH17.
European lawmakers described him as a “key suspect” and asked Kiev to make him available for testimony in the probe.
An AFP journalist saw Tsemakh being released after appellate court judge Yury Sliva in Kiev ruled to release him, cautioning him to remain available for questioning and not attempt to flee.
Tsemakh is a Ukrainian who is believed to have been in charge of an air defense unit in the forces of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic near Snizhne in eastern Ukraine.
This is where Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 came down in 2014, killing 298 people, most of them Dutch citizens.
Though his involvement in MH17 has never been confirmed by Ukraine, 40 European lawmakers on Wednesday asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to make sure he is available to be questioned by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team.
Russian and Ukrainian media have reported that Moscow is demanding that Tsemakh be handed over to Russia as part of an expected prisoner swap between two countries. Several high-profile Ukrainian prisoners are to be released from Russian jails under the swap.
Dutch MEP Kati Piri said demanding the exchange of Tsemakh is a “strange request” which “suggests that the Russian government wants to prevent this suspect from appearing in court.”
Dutch investigators say the plane was shot down by a BUK anti-aircraft missile that originated from the Russian military’s 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade after it was transported to Snizhne from Russia.
Ukraine court releases MH17 ‘suspect’ pending trial
Ukraine court releases MH17 ‘suspect’ pending trial
- Ukraine captured Vladimir Tsemakh, accused of fighting for pro-Russian separatists, in June
- He is believed to be a person of interest in the downing of MH17
Trump ‘very disappointed’ with UK’s Starmer for blocking use of air bases, Telegraph says
- UK PM then said bases could be used in “defensive” operations
- Trump says it took “too long” for Starmer to change his mind
LONDON: Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not allowing the US to use the Diego Garcia air base to carry out strikes on Iran, the Daily Telegraph quoted the US president as saying in an interview.
Britain had reportedly initially denied the US permission to conduct air strikes from its bases, but on Sunday evening Starmer said he was accepting a request for their use in any “defensive” strikes the US wanted to make against Iranian targets.
In an interview published on Monday Trump told the British newspaper that it took “too long” for Starmer to change his mind.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he told the Telegraph, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
Trump said Starmer should have approved from the get-go the American use of Diego Garcia — a strategically important US-UK air base in the Indian Ocean — saying Iran was responsible for killing “a lot of people from your country.”
Britain was not involved in the joint US-Israel air strikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Since attacks on Iran started on Saturday, Iran has been targeting Gulf countries with missiles, and on Sunday an Iranian-made drone hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, causing limited damage and no casualties.
Trump said it was “useful” that the US would now be able to launch operations from Diego Garcia, as he also criticized a deal Starmer has made over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, where Diego Garcia is based.
