Brunon Kwiecień has died - the spokeswoman for the General Director of the Prison Service, lieutenant-colonel Elżbieta Krakowska. The man was found dead on his bed in his cell. "A post-mortem will help to determine the cause of death," she added. A few years ago, Kwiecień was sentenced for preparing an attack on the Polish Sejm.
The spokeswoman said that when the prison guards noticed that the man wasn't moving, they immediately began resuscitation.
"Emergency service arrived shortly after and took over the resuscitation action, however, the man was pronounced dead," she explained.
Investigation
The police and prosecutor's office were notified.
"Despite that, as always in such cases, the Prison Service launches its own inquiry aimed to determine the circumstances of the incident. The District Director has called up a commission," reads the statement by the Prison Service.
At this point, the exact cause of death of Brunon Kwiecień remains unknown. "Definitely, a post-mortem will prove helpful in determining the cause of death," lieutenant-colonel Krakowska said.
Hope for a release
According to information gathered by tvn24.pl, a few weeks before his death, Brunon Kwiecień spoke with his attorney Maciej Burda.
"Brunon Kwiecień believed that he would be conditionally released from prison in August," Burda said. "He repeated many times that he wasn't contemplating suicide," the lawyer added. "He wasn't complaining on any health issues. He only had some problems with his eyes," he explained.
He also said that his client claimed that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) officers were inciting him to commit further crimes: attack on Israeli Embassy, assasination of the then Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, blowing up Jewish martyrdom monument and arms trade.
Guilty of planning
On April 19, 2017, a Kraków court of appeals ruled that Brunon Kwiecień was guilty of planning a terrorist attack on the Sejm. At the same time, the court lowered the 13 year prison sentence from 2015 to 9 years. The time already served by Kwiecień while under custody was included in the final sentence.
Brunon Kwiecień was on trial for preparing, between July and November 2012, a terrorist attack on Polish state authorities, for inciting two students to carry out the attack, and for illegal possession and selling of firearms.
According to investigators, Kwiecień, doctor of chemistry, former employee of the University of Agriculture in Kraków, planned to detonate 4 tonnes of explosive materials based on saltpetre close to the Sejm building in Warsaw. The explosion was to take place during a budgetary session attended by the president, prime and other ministers.
In the course of the investigation, Kwiecień admitted to planning and preparing of the attack on the Sejm building, but he denied feeling guilty and claimed that he had been inspired by another person. He pleaded not guilty to inciting the students and possessing a gun or selling it.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP