Experts in France have determined that Yasser Arafat did not die from polonium poisoning, contradicting a Swiss report released in November.
According to France 24:
"The report rules out the poisoning theory and goes in the [direction] of a natural death," the source said.
The French experts' findings differ from those of Swiss scientists, who said in November that their research offered some support for the suggestion Arafat was killed by poisoning. The Swiss team said that an examination of Arafat’s remains found "unexpectedly high levels" of polonium-210, a deadly radioactive isotope.
At the time of Arafat’s death in 2004, Parisian doctors diagnosed him with a blood condition that caused a fatal stroke. Arafat’s widow blocked doctors from performing an autopsy, which prevented them from making an official diagnosis.
The French team’s investigation began in August 2012 after Al Jazeera aired a documentary that introduced the polonium poisoning theory.
A Swiss team was also investigating Arafat's death and reported in November that there was a possibility of polonium poisoning as a cause of death. However, the research was paid for by Arafat's widow and the Palestinian National Authority, the Free Beacon reported.
