After several Russian websites published photographs seemingly depicting the body of the late President Lech Kaczyński and partial re-mains of others who died in the April 2010 Smolensk airplane disaster, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced its anger and disappointment over the publications to the Russian ambassador.

Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jerzy Pomianowski delivered an official statement summoning the Russian ambassador, so that Poland could express its “indignation over the internet publication of graphic images of the bodies of victims of the government plane crash in Smolensk on 10 April 2010,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a statement.

The ministry claims that the photos were taken by Russian officers.

The spokesperson for Russia’s federal investigation authority, Vladimir Markin, denied these allegations, the Russia Today television news channel reported him as saying.

He added that measures had been taken to remove the photographs from Russian media, and that investigators were looking into who had originally posted the photos.

When contacted by WBJ, the Russian embassy declined to comment.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Pomianowski told the Russian ambassador that Poland expects Russian authorities to promptly launch an inquiry into the matter and punish those responsible for the leaked images. It also expects Russian investigators to cooperate closely with the Polish Internal Security Agency and prosecutor’s office dealing with the case.

Russian authorities have blocked access to some of the websites on which the images were hosted, a fact that Mr Pomianowski’s statement acknowledged.

The appearance of the photos is yet another embarrassment for Russian and Polish authorities, after prosecutors in Warsaw last month said at least two victims’ families had received and buried the wrong bodies.