Dutch court on Thursday sentenced three men to life in prison for the murder of 298 people that were killed after a missile downed a Malaysian Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
The court also found that a Russian missile was responsible for the strike.
“The court is of the opinion that MH17 was brought down by the firing of a BUK missile from a farm field near Pervomaisk, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members,” presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis said according to Reuters.
Four suspects were involved in the case though only three, two Russians and one pro-Russia Ukrainian, were sentenced for the crime Thursday.
The other suspect was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
The three men, who were not present for the ruling, can appeal the court’s decision.
The ruling helps bring a close to an eight-year-long case that captured the world’s attention after a civilian flight traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, was shot down while flying over eastern Ukraine.
The tragedy occurred just months after Russia invaded Ukraine, seized Crimea and left upheaval in the nation’s eastern regions.
