Australia welcomes Dutch court conviction of three for murder over MH17

FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (2nd L) and his wife Margaret react with relatives of the Australian victims of Malaysia Airlines jet MH17 during a ceremony for the unveiling of a memorial outside Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, July 17, 2015. REUTERS/David Gray

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday welcomed a Dutch court conviction of three men over the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.

Dutch judges handed down on Thursday life sentences in absentia to two Russian men and a Ukrainian man for their role in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew, including 38 Australians.