Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13628 | 07 October 2014

The crash of Polish Air Force Tu-154 transporting the Polish delegation on 10 April 2010 on the Russian Federation's territory

Signatories: Mr Robert WALTER, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Tinatin BOKUCHAVA, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Henryk CIOCH, Poland, EC ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Grzegorz CZELEJ, Poland, EC ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Reha DENEMEÇ, Turkey, EC ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Ms Ivana DOBEŠOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Ms Daphné DUMERY, Belgium, NR ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EC ; Baroness Margaret EATON, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Tülin ERKAL KARA, Turkey, EC ; Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Zbigniew GIRZYŃSKI, Poland, EC ; Ms Ingebjørg GODSKESEN, Norway, EC ; Mr Rainer GOPP, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Mr Mehmet Kasim GÜLPINAR, Turkey, EC ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Adam HOFMAN, Poland, EC ; Mr Mariusz KAMIŃSKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Simeon KARAMAZOV, Czech Republic, EC ; Ms Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA, Ukraine, EC ; Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, EC ; Mr Brynjar NÍELSSON, Iceland, EC ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Adam ROGACKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Ömer SELVİ, Turkey, EC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Ahmet Kutalmiş TÜRKEŞ, Turkey, ALDE ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EC ; Baroness Judith WILCOX, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Morten WOLD, Norway, EC ; Mr Łukasz ZBONIKOWSKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

On 10 April 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154M with the Polish State delegation on board, led by President Lech Kaczynski and which was taking part in ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, crashed, killing all 96 passengers. These included President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and many high-ranking Polish officials, among them the chief of the Polish General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Polish military commanders, the chief of the National Security Bureau and the President of the National Bank of Poland.

Although more than four years have passed, the plane wreckage is still being kept by the Russian Federation, as well as the black boxes with original flight data recordings and much more material evidence. It is obviously due to a decision of a political nature made by the Russian authorities.

The media has revealed many times that the wreckage, which is being stored unprotected, is falling apart rapidly. The Russian Federation, keeping the plane wreckage for such a long time without any justification, has infringed the rules of law and co-operation between the member States of the Council of Europe. The Russian attitude seems to be politically motivated against Poland and is intended to interfere in the Polish investigation.

Therefore, the Parliamentary Assembly appeals to the Russian Federation to immediately return the plane wreckage to Poland, as well as the original flight data recordings and other material evidence in the case, currently being kept be the Russian side.