Russian forensic probe concludes Arafat died of natural causes

Johannesburg – Russian forensic investigation has concluded that former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died of natural causes, and not radiation poisoning suspected by Swiss.

The findings of the Russian Federal Medico-Biological Agency were in line with that of French scientists, who declared earlier this month that Arafat had not been killed with polonium, News24 reports.

However, the Palestinian envoy to Moscow called the Russian finding “politicised” and said it would not halt efforts to investigate the cause of death.

Swiss, French and Russian forensics experts had taken samples from Arafat’s body last year after an al Jazeera documentary claimed that his clothes showed high amounts of deadly polonium 210.