Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has confirmed that Piotr Stanczak, a Polish engineer kidnapped in Pakistan last September, is the man being beheaded in the video released yesterday.

“The recording presents the Taliban killing the Pole,” said Sikorski’s advisor Jacek Cichocki, expressing his deep concern about the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the Russian news agency ITAR- TASS, has claims that the Pole’s body has been found in the Swat Valley, north western Pakistan. This information, however, has not been confirmed either by the Polish Foreign Ministry, nor the Polish Embassy in Pakistan.

Minister Sikorski assured that the Polish government will do all it can to bring the murderers to justice.

“Now that it is too late to save our citizen, we will do our best to punish those who are responsible for the crime,” said Sikorski.

The video tape released by the Taliban, showing them beheading Stanczak, is currently being analysed by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) in order to dispel any possible doubts to its authenticity.

According to Cichocki, who has watched the video, the recording presented the Polish engineer, kidnapped last Septwmber, as calm. It was as if he was not aware of what was about to happen.

Sikorski’s advisor had no doubt that it was the Taliban who beheaded Stanczak, as the recording presents an inscription in Arabic, which clearly points to the Tehrik-e-Taliban movement.

Cichocki reminded that the kidnappers contacted the Polish government only once, in October, calling for them to press the Pakistani government to fulfill the Talibans’ demands. (is)