Trial

The charge being brought against Bainimarama is attempting to pervert the course of justice and Qiliho is facing one count of abuse of office.

The allegations are related to a complaint filed by the University of the South Pacific in July 2019 concerning the actions of former staff members of the regional university.

According to the public prosecution office, Bainimarama and Qiliho are alleged to have arbitrarily and in abuse of the authority of their respective offices directed for the termination of an active investigation.

About 90 relatives will speak at the high-security court in Schiphol over the next three weeks.

International investigators say the plane was shot down with a missile fired by pro-Russian rebels.

Three Russians and a Ukrainian are on trial but none will appear in court. All four have denied involvement.

The Malaysian Airlines flight was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014 when it was downed. It crashed in the Donetsk region, about 50km (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.

That marks the start of the retrial of the group of activists and former politicians who were involved in an anti-government protest in 2015.

They face charges including rioting and disrupting the legislature.

RNZ Pacific reports they were awarded a permanent stay on proceedings last year by Supreme Court Judge Geoffrey Muecke, which was later dismissed by the Nauru Court of Appeal.

This month, newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice Daniel Fatiaki rejected another stay application and refused the Nauru 19 an appeal of this.