MH17 Families Chair Piet Ploeg Awarded Royal Knighthood

Piet Ploeg, chairman of the Association of Relatives of Victims of Disaster MH17 (Stichting MH17) and the most prominent public voice for the 298 victims' families, is appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau during the Netherlands' annual King's Birthday honours (lintjesregen) on April 26. Ploeg, who lost his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew in the MH17 crash, has spent more than a decade advocating tirelessly for justice and accountability. The royal recognition reflects the Netherlands' deep collective acknowledgment of Ploeg's leadership in securing the Hague criminal convictions and in representing families throughout the ECHR and civil compensation proceedings.