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Smolensk victims' monument to be unveiled on 10 April: ruling party leader

PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek 11.02.2018 09:10
A "sort of plinth" will be set up to mark a future monument to President Lech Kaczyński, a victim of the Smolensk plane crash, on the eighth anniversary of the disaster, ruling party leader and the late president's twin Jarosław Kaczyński said at events marking 94 months since the tragedy.
Jarosław Kaczyński. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka.Jarosław Kaczyński. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka.

The Law and Justice party leader said that work on a monument to the crash victims was underway, while a "sort of plinth" representing a future monument to Lech Kaczyński would be installed in Warsaw on April 10.

A committee responsible for building monuments to Smolensk victims on Wednesday said a monument would be installed near the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.

The committee's leader Jacek Sasin said the structure should be ready for unveiling on the 10 April 2018.

But a Thursday Warsaw City Council meeting voted against the monument being set up.

A Polish plane crashed in Smolensk, western Russia, on 10 April 2010, killing all 96 on board including then-President Lech Kaczyński, his wife and dozens of political and military top brass.

Commemorations of the 10 April 2010 plane disaster in which 96 people died, which occur on the tenth day of each month, lasted all Saturday and included a Church service and rally in the Polish capital.
According to police, up to 2,000 people took part in the rally, while 70 people took part in an anti-government counter-rally.

Commemorations of the plane disaster, which occur on the tenth day of each month, lasted all Saturday and included a church service and rally in the Polish capital.

According to police, up to 2,000 people took part in the rally, while 70 people took part in an anti-government counter-rally.

A commission investigating the disaster, set up by the Law and Justice party which came to power in late 2015, said last year the plane was probably destroyed by a mid-air explosion and that Russian air traffic controllers deliberately misled Polish pilots about their location as the presidential plane was approaching the runway of the Smolensk military airport.

PiS has long challenged an official report into the crash issued by the previous Polish government which cited a catalogue of errors on the Polish side, while also pointing to errors made by Russian staff at the control tower of Smolensk Military Airport.

A Russian report placed all the blame on the Poles. (vb/pk)

Source: PAP

tags: Smolensk
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