Polish diplomat beaten in Moscow was in a state of alcoholic intoxication

The Polish embassy does not relate the incident to the recent attack on Russian diplomats' children in Warsaw

Tomasz Klimanski, Polish Consul General in Russia, handed a note to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday after one of the members of the Polish diplomatic mission in Moscow was beaten last Sunday. At first it was meant to be handed by the Polish ambassador himself, but Klimanski arrived instead of him, Interfax reports.

Shortly after that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia distributed a message, where it expressed regret in connection with the incident and says that Russian authorities were taking additional measures of security for Polish Embassy in Moscow, its staff and their families.

A case was initiated in connection with the incident. The deputy head of the Information Bureau of the Government's Department of Internal Affairs, Evgeny Gildeev, said in his interview to ITAR-TASS that the Presnenskaya interdistrict prosecutor's office initiated the case in accordance with article 115 of the Russian Criminal Code “for intended infliction on health.”

“The investigation is now controlled by the deputy head of the Government's Department of Internal Affairs major-general Vladimir Popov. At the moment investigators from the Presnensky Department of Internal Affairs together with those of the criminal investigation department have gone to the Botkinskaya hospital to question the victim.

He clarified that at about 10 p.m. the day before counselor of the Polish embassy, Andjey Uriadko, filed an application to the Presnensky Department of Internal Affairs and reported that at 11.30 p.m. Moscow time two unknown people beat him on the intersection of Bolshoy Tishinsky side street and Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street. 

“The victim applied to Botkinskaya hospital without any assistance. After the checkup he was diagnosed with numerous grazes on his face, legs, chest and abdomen”, Gildeev said.

According to Gildeev, the diplomat was intoxicated when he was admitted to hospital, RIA Novosti reports. Gildeev also claimed that investigators did not succeed in talking to the victim for reasons, which were beyond their control. He mentioned that the evidence was registered in the book of record.

Earlier on representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Tomasz Szeratics and Polish Consul General Tomasz Klimanski said that they were sure this was a “rowdy attack”, and the guilty should be found and punished in accordance with the existing legislation.

Meantime the first secretary of the Polish embassy in Russia Zbignev Zhonca reported: “We do not know why this incident took place. However, by no means we relate it to the recent beating of Russian diplomats' children in Warsaw.” Sceratics also said that is far from suspecting that the attack is connected with the recent incident in Warsaw.

On the photo: The view of the Polish embassy in Moscow