Families in agony are still waiting for answers as to why they lost their loved ones

On their son's birthday, they went to a Dutch airport and watched seven coffins being unloaded from a military plane. They wondered if the remains of Bryce and his girlfriend Daisy were among them.

For many of the families of the 298 passengers who died in the July 17 crash of the Malaysia Airlines plane in eastern Ukraine, life looks exactly like what Silen and Rob Hogzand, Bryce's parents, are experiencing - agony and waiting.

"Your life stops in a moment. Everything around you goes on, you try to participate, but it's so difficult," says Selin.

Their son's room is still as it was when he left for Bali on flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

While they are waiting for his remains, they, like the other families, did not get any answers about the tragedy - who crashed the plane, why was it flying over the war zone in the first place, will the culprits ever be held accountable?

International investigators say that they will publish the report in October at the earliest, while the investigation conducted by the Dutch authorities will not be finished until the end of the year. All of this is extra frustrating for families.

Investigators are focused on the fact that MH17 was most likely brought down by a BUK missile, but who fired it? Ukrainians blame pro-Russian rebels for the downing of the plane, while Moscow blames the Ukrainian side. On the anniversary of the crash of MH17, families will gather again in memory of their dead, AP writes.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called on Friday for the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to try those responsible for the downing of a Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine a year ago.

"Justice must be ensured for the 298 innocent people who lost their lives," said Minister Hammond, whose country is one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

"For that, an international court is needed, supported by a resolution that would oblige all UN members to prosecute the guilty," said the British minister.

"Any attempt to undermine that process would deprive the victims of justice and cannot be tolerated," Hammond added.

Most of the passengers killed in the downing of a Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine on July 17 last year were Dutch nationals and the country is working with Malaysia, Australia, Belgium and Ukraine to set up an international tribunal to allow charges to be brought.

In the draft of the relevant UN resolution, which was obtained by the AFP news agency, it is requested to establish a court based on the seventh chapter of the UN Charter, which means that the trial of those responsible could also be ensured by sanctions.

Ukraine and many in the West have accused pro-Russian separatists of shooting down the plane, saying they may have used an air-to-surface missile supplied by Russia.

Moscow and the rebels deny responsibility for the downing of the plane, placing the blame on the Ukrainian military. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that before making a decision on the trial of those responsible for the downing of the plane, all investigations should be concluded. Russia normally has the right of veto in the UN Security Council.

The British Foreign Minister indicated in a statement that indictments could be brought after the end of the Dutch investigation, that is, by the end of the year.

"By the end of the year, the Dutch security committee will publish a final technical report, after which we expect further progress in the criminal investigation that seeks to identify those responsible," said Minister Hammond.

"A very professional team of investigators is combing through a huge amount of evidence, carefully collected despite frequent obstruction and delays," he added.

Dnevnik.hr

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