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Polish prosecutors accuse Russians of falsification in Smolensk disaster victim investigations

31.10.2024 12:55
Gazeta Wyborcza reports that Poland's National Prosecutor's Office has leveled accusations against 41 Russian doctors and geneticists for allegedly falsifying evidence while examining the remains of 60 individuals who died in the Smolensk disaster.
As reported by Gazeta Wyborcza, the National Prosecutors Office accuses 41 Russian doctors and geneticists of falsifying evidence while examining and identifying the bodies of 60 victims from the Smolensk disaster.
As reported by "Gazeta Wyborcza", the National Prosecutor's Office accuses 41 Russian doctors and geneticists of falsifying evidence while examining and identifying the bodies of 60 victims from the Smolensk disaster.STEFAN MASZEWSKI/REPORTER/GW

The investigation was conducted by the military prosecutor's office until 2016, and since 2017, it has been ongoing under Team No. 1 in Poland's National Prosecutor's Office, following significant irregularities uncovered during the exhumation of the victims' bodies.

Investigators have found many discrepancies in the documentation sent from Russia, highlighting that the protocols were often incomplete, vague, and contradictory.

Prosecutors have concluded that Russian officials recorded procedures that were never actually performed, reported false injuries, and overlooked critical injuries that are essential to the investigation, which is considering various factors related to the disaster, including the possibility of an onboard explosion.

Overall, the National Prosecutor's Office suspects 63 offenses may have occurred, such as obstruction of justice and falsification of important legal documents, and the Russian medical personnel are now officially regarded as suspects, with charges and interrogations anticipated.

Gazeta Wyborcza states that while the Polish Prosecutor's Office has submitted the necessary documents to Russia, the Russian government has repeatedly disregarded Polish inquiries about the Smolensk disaster, creating doubt about whether the suspects have been questioned or formally charged.

Source: IAR/GW

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