Poland and Russia differ on Smolensk disaster autopsy findings
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
29.09.2011 10:35
Initial findings by Polish medics indicate that the Russian autopsy on Polish MP Zbigniew Wassermann, one of the victims of the 2010 Smolensk disaster, was only 7 to 10 percent correct in its analysis.
The news threatens to undermine the entire series of autopsies carried out in Russia in the wake of the plane crash which killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others in western Russia last year.
Zbigniew Wassermann, an MP for the Law and Justice party, was exhumed in August at the request of his family, as approved by Poland's Chief Military Prosecutor's Office.
As was clarified at the time, the action was not taken owing to doubts over the identity of the buried man, but rather over the details of the autopsy.
Wassermann's remains were taken from Krakow to Wroclaw, south west Poland, where a second autopsy was conducted by the city's Medical Academy.
Russian and Polish findings appear to tally only on the most basic matters, such as the height of the victim and the main external injuries.
However, Polish medics claim that there are faults in such questions as the number and location of fractures. Furthermore, the Wroclaw specialists say that some organs were not even analysed by the Russian medics.
Meanwhile, Jerzy Kawecki, deputy leader of the team that led the Polish autopsy, told RMF FM Radio that it is necessary “to wait until all the results of the tests have been provided for consultative discussions.”
When complete, the report will be sent to the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office, which approved the Wassermann family's initial request for an exhumation. (nh/pg)