Polish mayor dies after attack at charity event

GDANSK, Jan 14 (BBC): The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk has been seriously injured after being stabbed on stage at the country's biggest charity event, officials say.

Pawel Adamowicz, 53, was taken to hospital, where he is in a critical condition after five hours of surgery.

The 27-year-old suspect, who has a criminal record, has been detained.

He said the Civic Platform party, which led the previous government and had supported Mr Adamowicz's re-election, had wrongfully imprisoned him.

Mr Adamowicz suffered very serious abdominal injuries during the attack, said Tomasz Stefaniak, director of health at the University Clinical Centre in Gdansk, early on Monday.

During a five-hour operation, the mayor was given 41 units of blood.

"He remains in a very, very serious condition, " said Dr Stefaniak. "The coming hours will be decisive."

The incident took place at the finale of the annual Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity event, which was attended by hundreds of people.

Television footage showed the suspect, who was released from prison recently, shouting "Adamowicz is dead" and claiming he had been tortured in prison.

Polish media initially reported he had access to the stage using a media badge but this has not been officially confirmed.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said he was informed that "doctors succeeded in reanimating the heart of the seriously injured mayor".

"There is hope but his condition is very difficult," he said on Twitter, calling on people to pray for Mr Adamowicz.

Mr Adamowicz is a native of Gdansk, and has been its mayor for 20 years.

A graduate of Gdansk university's law school, he is married to a professor there, and the pair have two daughters - one a teenager and one under 10.