Wife of jailed Russian MP found dead at London home
THE wife of a jailed Russian politician has been found dead in mysterious circumstances at her west London home.
Friends of Irina Izmestieva called for MI5 to conduct a full investigation after she was found dead on her sofa.
She had recently complained of feeling unwell prompting speculation among her neighbours in Kensington that she had been poisoned.
The 52-year-old film director and producer had moved to the UK in 2007 after her husband, Igor Izmestiev, a former Russian senator, was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading a criminal gang and plotting several murders. He continues to protest his innocence.
Mrs Izmestieva, mother to 21-yearold twin daughters, was found dead after “an incident” was reported to emergency services. Neighbours reported seeing police, forensic experts in white suits and ambulance crews at the scene on Friday night, although Scotland Yard said yesterday it had no record of attending.
Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a Russian businessman who lived next door to Mrs Izmestieva up until 2013, said on Facebook that he suspected foul play.
“I very much hope that British intelligence will hold a proper investigation so that we can hopefully know one day what happened. I can say for myself that she was a very healthy person.”
The cause of death remains unknown and a post mortem examination has yet to be carried out.
However, Oxana Mason, Mrs Izmestieva’s personal assistant of 12 years, said that her death was “nothing to do with politics” and she most likely suffered a blood clot or a stroke. She said she discovered the body on Friday at about 7.10pm and called the police.