MH17: British Plane Victims Must Get 'Justice'

"Justice must be delivered" for the 10 Britons who died when flight MH17 was shot down a year ago today, the Foreign Secretary has said.

The Malaysia Airlines flight came down over rebel-held Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, including 80 children.

Memorial services are being held in countries including the Netherlands and Australia – home to many of the victims.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is demanding a UN-backed international tribunal to prosecute those responsible.

"Later this year, the Dutch Safety Board will publish its definitive technical report after which we expect further progress with the criminal investigation, which seeks to identify who was responsible," Mr Hammond said.

"The highly professional team of investigators have been sifting through vast quantities of evidence, gathered painstakingly in the face of frequent obstruction and delays.

"Justice must be delivered for the 298 innocent people who lost their lives.

"That requires an international tribunal, backed by a resolution binding all UN member states, to prosecute those responsible.

"Any attempt to undermine this process would deprive the victims of justice and cannot be tolerated."

At the scene of the crash around 200 residents from local villages gathered to mourn the day the aircraft plummeted out of the sky.

Some held flags of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and carried banners accusing Kiev of killing innocent people in the ongoing battle with the rebel forces.

"You were killed. But we are still being killed," read one banner.

Malaysian families of those killed who took part in a memorial service in Kuala Lumpur last week called for answers about who is responsible for the disaster.

The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was blasted out of the sky over eastern Ukraine.

Western governments believe it was destroyed by rebels or Russian soldiers using a ground-to-air missile system.

That conclusion is based on intercepted radio messages, witness statements, as well as photo, video and satellite images.

Russia denies any involvement in the incident and says the aircraft was destroyed by a Ukrainian missile or fighter plane.

There are worries the country may try to block any in-depth criminal probe.

Fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists – strongly believed to be backed by Russia – has been going on since last year.

Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, has also backed calls for a UN-supported criminal tribunal.

Speaking on the eve of the anniversary, he said the atrocity "cannot be forgiven by anyone in the modern world".

The Dutch report into who was behind the atrocity is expected in October.

A preliminary version has already been given to half a dozen governments whose citizens were on board the flight.

Thirty-eight Australians were among the dead.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott today unveiled a memorial to them in the country’s capital, Canberra.

Families of some of the victims were in tears as they laid flowers at the plaque, which is inscribed with the names of the dead.

"The names of the Australians killed in the MH17 atrocity a year ago today are etched on this plaque just as they are etched in our hearts,” said Mr Abbott.

"They deserved to be welcomed home," he added. "Not shot out of the sky in a war of aggression by one country against its smaller neighbour."

The Dutch government is holding its own memorial ceremony this afternoon – it lost nearly 200 of its citizens in the disaster.

Among the 10 British victims were two Newcastle United fans on their way to a pre-season tournament , Richard Mayne - a Leeds University student, and Stephen Anderson - a former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator.