Ouch! The Quest for Justice After the MH17 Tragedy
A Family Turns the Table on Money‑Makers
The Schansmen are wagging the finger at a handful of money‑transfer giants and Russian banks that themselves scooped up cash for the separatists who blew up Malaysia’s Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in New York’s Southern District, attaches the victims’ names to the paperwork of Western Union, MoneyGram, SberBank, and VTB.
The Heart‑Wrenching Backstory
On a day that seemed meant to be carefree, 18‑year‑old Quinn Lucas Schansman was jetting from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, looking forward to a family vacation. Instead, the world lost all 298 souls aboard MH17—around two‑thirds of them Dutch citizens. The aircraft met its doom over territory run by the pro‑Russian separatists who refuse to play by the rules.
„We Won’t Get Our Son Back, But We’ll Seek Accountability”
Thomas Schansman, Quinn’s parent, said in a heartfelt statement: “We realise that we will never get our son back. But we are committed to shedding light on—and holding accountable—everyone who participated in his murder.”
Legal Nitty‑Gritty Under the U.S. Antiterrorism Act
- Schansman’s suit claims the defendants helped the self‑proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) finance missile ops that killed Quinn and 297 other innocent people.
- The lawsuit lists SberBank of Russia, VTB Bank, Western Union Co., Western Union Financial Services, MoneyGram International Inc., and MoneyGram Payment Systems Inc. as parties that might have turned a blind eye.
Defendants’ Response: The Classic “We’re Not Involved”
Western Union shrugged: “While we don’t comment on the details of pending litigation, we believe the claims asserted in this complaint are without merit.”
VTB Bank stayed silent on the complaint but rebutted with a strong statement: “We’d like to emphasise that VTB has never and is not involved in financing the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
MoneyGram and SberBank didn’t provide an immediate reply.
Why the DPR and Russia Are Hiding Behind the Money Wire
The conflict erupted in 2014 when Moscow‑backed separatists clashed with pro‑Western Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian government has declared the DPR to be a terrorist organization. As David Pressman from Boies Schiller Flexner LLP points out, the DPR systematically solicited money worldwide to buy weapons and ammunition. “It was a perfect storm of a rogue state and the open‑market money services,” he said.
International Investigation Gives a Scent of Where the Missile Came From
Last May, investigators found that the “Buk” missile system used to bring down the passenger plane originated from the 53rd Anti‑Aircraft Brigade in Kursk, Russia— just a stone’s throw from where the DPR was based.
Diplomacy, Legal Labyrinth, and the Search for Justice
The Netherlands, Australia, and other victim‑states have pressed Russia for accountability. Russia has flatly denied any involvement, insisting its missiles never traversed Ukrainian airspace. Even a UN Security Council attempt to set up an international tribunal got vetoed by Russia in 2015.
Business‑savvy lawyer Pressman urges that even if the men who fired the missile remain invisible, “all of those who armed them and supported them must be called to account.”
Where the Family Is Headed From Here
While the Schansmen accept that their son will never fly again, they are pushing for a wider, global investigation into every party that may have handed financing or awareness to the DPR. The goal? To build a torrent of justice that’ll make the financial off‑liners pay the price for their indirect role in killing an innocent teenager.
