Palestinian ambassador died ‘opening safe’

Czech police have said the death of the Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic at his Prague home on New Year’s Day was likely caused by the explosion of an anti-theft system on an old safe he was opening. Jamal al-Jamal, 56, who took office in October and only recently moved to the new residence on the northern outskirts of Prague, “was opening an old safe which had been brought from the previous embassy (building) to the new one,” the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday.

“The evidence the police have doesn’t suggest anything like a terror attack or that a specific person would set up a system with the intention to hurt or kill anyone,” Andrea Zoulova, Czech police spokeswoman, said.

Zoulova said police were not ruling out the possibility the safe was “mishandled”, adding: “The victim has died so it will be harder to prove the cause.”

Daniel Langer, surgeon at the Prague military hospital to which Jamal was taken, told Czech television the ambassador had suffered devastating “head, belly and chest injuries following an explosion”.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said it would send a team to Prague to help with the investigation.

Riyad al-Malki, Palestinian foreign minister, hailed him as “an exemplary diplomat, who served his country and cause well”. — AFP