THE new Solidarity-controlled Senate in Poland is to investigate the deaths of three Catholic priests who died in mysterious circumstances earlier this year.
The human rights committee of the Senate has said the cases of the three priests will be investigated jointly with the Sejm, or lower house of ' parliament. Last week they voted to examine the charges that Poland's newly confirmed prime minister, General Cselasw Kissesak, had been responsible for 100 political murders during his rule at the Interior Ministry.
All three priests were opposition supporters, had all received death threats and died in suspicious circumstances. The most recent death was that of Fr Sylwester Zych, whose body was found in a bus stop. The official cause of death was a heart attack but this has been contested by friends and relatives.
In the second case, 77-yearold Fr Stefan Niedselak received death threats days before he was found dead church officials have stated. A church lawyer believed he could have been killed by a "karate blow".
A week later another prominent opposition activist, Fr Stanislaw Sachowalac, was found dead in his quarters following a fire. Authorities gave the cause of death as asphyxiation.