OREANDA-NEWS. The investigation team under the Polish National Public Prosecutor’s Office filed an application with the court in Warsaw’s Mokotow district for the temporary arrest of three Russian air traffic controllers who were on duty at Smolensk North Airport on April 10, 2010, a day of the crash of the Polish government aircraft Tu-154.

This was reported by press secretary of the Prosecutor’s Office, Eva Bialik. The charges brought against the air traffic controllers concern deliberately leading to a plane crash, which led to the death of a large number of people, Bialik.

As the Polish Press Agency reports, an application filed to the court is the first step towards issuing an international arrest warrant. If the court issues a relevant order, investigators can take steps to detain the air traffic controllers.

An airplane Tu-154 with Polish President Lech Kaczynski on board crashed while landing at the Smolensk North Airport on April 10, 2010. 96 people died.