On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over Eastern Ukraine, leaving no survivors. Since, victims’ relatives, States, and the wider public are trying to understand what happened, how it could happen, who is responsible, and how to address these responsibilities. The efforts to find justice have faced many complications and legal complexities. This article aims to provide insight into these legal and political complexities. In particular, it discusses the core legal questions of the criminal accountability of the perpetrators and the State responsibility of those States involved —Ukraine and Russia— through the legal doctrines of public international law and the European Convention on Human Rights. It further offers some core considerations relating to civil liability of States and airline carriers. In addition to providing insight into why the road to justice is long and arduous, the legal options available, and the specific challenges of each, the article also emphasises that having a legal option does not necessarily mean that it is also the best choice to use it. That choice is up to victims’ relatives and the States concerned. The article takes no position in this regard. Instead, it seeks to provide an analysis that may contribute to making such decisions in an informed manner.

中文翻译：

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穿越法律视野：为MH17灾难律师

2014年7月17日，马来西亚航空MH17航班在乌克兰东部被击落，没有幸存者。既然如此，受害者的亲属，国家和广大公众都在试图了解发生了什么，如何发生，由谁负责以及如何承担这些责任。寻求正义的努力面临许多复杂性和法律复杂性。本文旨在提供对这些法律和政治复杂性的见解。特别是，它通过国际公法和《欧洲人权公约》的法律原则，讨论了肇事者的刑事责任和所涉国家（乌克兰和俄罗斯）的国家责任的核心法律问题。它进一步提供了与国家和航空公司的民事责任有关的一些核心考虑。除了深入了解通往正义之路为何漫长而艰辛，可用的法律选择以及每种选择的具体挑战之外，本文还强调拥有法律选择并不一定意味着它也是使用的最佳选择它。这种选择取决于受害者的亲属和有关国家。该文章在这方面没有立场。相反，它试图提供一种可能有助于以知情的方式做出此类决策的分析。