Attacks against Polish citizens in Moscow continue

Yesterday's occurrence has become the third attack against Polish citizens in Moscow over the recent five days

Moscow has become a dangerous city for Polish citizens. Polish journalist Pawel Reszka from the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, was beaten in Russia's capital yesterday. The journalist told in an interview with the First Channel that he had been attacked by a group of men, when he went out of his office to buy a pack of cigarettes. Four men assaulted the Polish journalist when he was walking along the pedestrian subway. According to Reszka, one of the men hit him in the head, the journalist fell down, and the assailants continued beating him. The strangers were not saying anything, they were just beating the journalist.

The occurrence has become the third attack against Polish citizens in Moscow over the recent five days. A group of strangers attacked an employee of the Polish embassy, Andrzej Uriadko, on Sunday, whereas another Polish diplomat, Marek Reszuta, was beaten on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the investigation of “Polish accidents” in Moscow faces considerable difficulties: the assaulters have not been either found or identified yet. A source from the Moscow law-enforcement agencies told the Vremya Novostei newspaper that eyewitnesses and the assaulted individuals impede the process of investigation themselves. “The Poles cannot give us any description of the men from whom they suffered, whereas Russian eyewitnesses of the crimes are too enthusiastic in their stories. We can make about a dozen of E-fits for only one suspect, for instance,” a police officer complained. Nevertheless, the Moscow police are doing their best to investigate the crimes.

Meanwhile, recent opinion polls conducted in Poland say that the Russian administration considers Warsaw a political enemy. Poland supported the orange revolution in Ukraine, for example, which infuriated the Kremlin. In addition, Poland has been trying to play a more active role in Eastern Europe. Polish journalists believe that the above-mentioned attacks against Polish citizens in Moscow were initiated from Russian anti-Polish and anti-Western groups.

Adam Rotfeld, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, stated that someone in Russia was interested in aggravating relations with Poland. The Polish embassy introduced unexampled security measures after the attack on Marek Reszuta. It was recommended for Polish employees to stay indoors as much as possible, and try not to go out alone.

In the meantime, Polish law-enforcement authorities have reached certain progress in the investigation of the recent attack against Russian diplomats' children in Warsaw. About 15 Polish skinheads beat and robbed Russian teenagers on July 31. The Polish police detained two suspects yesterday, who could be involved in the incident in Warsaw. Police officers withdrew cellular phones from the two detainees, which they had allegedly stolen from the attacked children.

NTV Photo