However, due to the coronavirus and the related national guidelines, adjustments will made for the upcoming block of court hearings. The upshot of this is that only a limited number of people will be able to attend the hearings at the Schiphol Judicial Complex (JCS). The proceedings may be followed by all by livestream, on this website for instance.
Court days reserved in June 2020
The courtroom has been reserved in June 2020 from Monday, 8 June to Friday, 3 July 2020. It is not yet known whether the court will sit every day. Circumstances may require that hearings be shortened, re-scheduled, suspended or even cancelled.
Present in courtroom
The guidelines issued by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the justice authorities apply in the JCS. Everyone will be expected to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters from each other and people with mild cold symptoms or a fever will not be admitted to the building. In addition to the judges, clerks and prosecutors, a maximum of two relatives’ counsel, two defence counsel and a limited number of representatives of the press will be present in the courtroom. The public gallery above the courtroom will be reserved for a limited number of relatives. It will not be possible to accommodate other interested parties during this block of hearings. They will, therefore, be obliged to follow the proceedings by livestream.
The press centre will be closed.
Future hearings
After the hearing block in June, the next block of court days is scheduled for September. The plans for conducting the MH17 criminal proceedings and attendance by relatives, media and interested parties will be adjusted anew in light of the national guidelines in force at that time.
Information
Current information on the criminal case can be found on this website and our Twitter account @CourtMH17.