The Palestinians have Russia’s assistance, along with that of Switzerland and France, in exhuming the remains for sampling to investigate late President Yasser Arafat's death, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announces Russian involvement (Photo: euronews.com)

This is the first time the Palestinian authority has confirmed Russian involvement in the inquiry. Right after Arafat's death in a French hospital in November, 2004, which was blamed on serious illness, came a rumor that he was poisoned by a spy of Israel’s Mossad intelligent agent. A Swiss institute said it had discovered high level of the radioactive element polonium-210 on Arafat's clothing, which might have resulted in his death. When Al-Jazeera unveiled the news in August, France decided to get involved in the investigation. According to the AFP, French and Swiss investigators will head to Ramallah later this month for Arafat’s exhumation.