New court hearings in the MH17 trial will resume on June 8 with a limited number of people to attend the courtroom due to the restrictions introduced in connection with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"As scheduled, the MH17 criminal case will resume on Monday, June 8 next. However, due to the coronavirus and the related national guidelines, adjustments will be made for the upcoming block of court hearings. The upshot of this is that only a limited number of people will be able to attend the hearings at the Schiphol Judicial Complex (JCS). The proceedings may be followed by all by livestream, on this website for instance," the Hague District Court said in an announcement posted on the MH17 case website on May 1.

According to the announcement, the guidelines issued by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the justice authorities apply in the JCS. Everyone will be expected to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters from each other and people with mild cold symptoms or a fever will not be admitted to the building. The press center and courtrooms A, B and C will be closed. The hearings will be held in courtroom D.

The courtroom has been reserved from June 8 to July 3, 2020.

"It is not yet known whether the court will sit every day. Circumstances may require that hearings be shortened, re-scheduled, suspended or even cancelled," it said.

In addition to the judges, clerks and prosecutors, a maximum of two relatives' counsel, two defense counsel and a limited number of representatives of the press will be present in the courtroom, the court said. The public gallery above the courtroom will be reserved for a limited number of relatives.

"It will not be possible to accommodate other interested parties during this block of hearings. They will, therefore, be obliged to follow the proceedings by livestream," it said.

After the hearing block in June, the next block of court days is scheduled for September.