Today the Minister of Justice and Security, Ferdinand Grapperhaus, designated the Schiphol Judicial Complex at Badhoevedorp as the location for any future MH17 trial. In September 2017 the ministry decided that, if the Public Prosecution Service decides to prosecute, the ensuing trial will be heard by the District Court of The Hague.
However, the courthouse in The Hague is unable to accommodate such a large trial, as it does not have the required facilities. Mr Grapperhaus has therefore decided to designate the Schiphol Judicial Complex at Badhoevedorp as the trial location instead. The law allows for such a move if it is necessary for security reasons or due to other circumstances.
The minister made this decision after consulting with the Council for the Judiciary and the Public Prosecution Service. Designating a location at this early stage, i.e. before the case has been referred to the court, allows the trial to start as soon as possible after a decision to prosecute is made.
No further details on the trial
The court does not know if and when a decision will be made to prosecute, and so it cannot comment about any future MH17 trial. Further questions concerning the location, and about facilities for the next of kin, the media and other interested parties, cannot be answered at this stage.