The clues about Putin emerged from intercepted conversations, as reporter Michal van der Toorn – who was present at the presentation of the JIT report – explains the situation. According to Van Boetzelaer, there are “strong indications” that Putin has made the decision to supply the BUK systems, or even heavier anti-aircraft guns.
“The intercepted conversations also showed that the separatists were waiting for Putin’s permission,” says Van der Toorn. “They keep calling him ‘Number One,’ which hints at his involvement. In the presentation we also heard a conversation between Putin himself and the rebel leader of Luhansk’.
No legal proceedings
However, where there are insinuations that Putin was involved, ultimately there is not enough evidence to actually convict Putin. “The evidence is not concrete enough to lead to convictions in court,” says Van der Toorn. Furthermore, Putin is head of state, and will probably remain so for a while longer. Consequently, he is immune from Dutch law until he is no longer head of state.’
According to Van der Toorn, the presentation also clarified a lot about the decision-making process for issuing those missiles. It has also been emphasized several times that the JIT has indeed achieved results. For example, three suspects have been convicted and a great deal of information has surfaced over the past eight years.