Poland asks Russia for Smolensk air crash reports
By IANSMonday, July 19, 2010
WARSAW - Poland has asked Russia for the inquiry files and post mortem reports of the Smolensk air crash victims, including that of former Polish president Lech Kaczynski, who died in the incident April 10.
Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and 96 top government officials in the presidential plane were killed in the air crash near Smolensk in Russia.
During his visit to Russia, Polish Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski asked the post-mortem reports to be handed over to Poland as a matter of priority, Poland’s justice ministry said Monday.
Kwiatkowski met with his Russian counterpart Alexander Konovalov during a visit to St. Petersburg July 18-19.
Russia, however, said Monday that investigation into the plane crash has been extended till October.
Poland’s prosecution would receive five-six volumes of the crash inquiry files from Russia within the next few weeks, a Russian official said.
To date, Russia has handed over to Poland six volumes of files. Poland is waiting for the crash victims’ post mortem reports, while only that of Kaczynski has been sent to Poland.
