Poland plans to appeal at the International Court of Justice in Hague over Russian investigation of Smolensk plane crash. This was reported by Witold Waszczykowski, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to PAP agency.
Waszczykowski already told about the possibility of filing a complaint over the investigation to the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, and opening the case against Russia for refusal to return captured Polish property (aircraft wreckage of Tu-154M), minister told in a conversation with PAP in November 2015.
According to Waszczykowski, Poland tried to solve this problem by other means up to now.
“At first, we tried to check if there is a possibility to negotiate directly with Russians for over a year. Russians, as you know, reacted negatively, sometimes arrogantly. We also tried to get support from some of our allies, the institutions which we belong to,” minister stressed.
“However, as the case lasts for 7 years, the possibilities have been exhausted. Poland is in the final stages of filing the complaint with the International Court of Justice, and we well send it soon enough,” Waszczykowski claimed.
He also added, that the exact term of the application depends on the lawyers, but it may be a matter of “days or weeks”.
As is known, Polish Tu-154M crashed in Smolensk oblast, eastern Russia, on April 10, 2010. The aircraft carried the-then President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and other top officials who were on their way to Russia – to join the solemn ceremony of tribute for the Polish army officers killed in Katyn forest during the WWII. There were 89 passengers and seven crew members aboard; no one survived.
