Inquest into ex-spy’s death may probe Russia’s role
LONDON— A long-awaited inquest into the poisoning death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko should consider whether Russian authorities were involved, the senior British judge who will oversee it said Thursday.
But lawyers for the victim’s family and the suspects will not be allowed to see a report on alleged links between Litvinenko and British intelligence.
Litvinenko’s family believes the Kremlin was behind his death from radioactive poisoning in London in November 2006.
The former security service officer, a critic of the Kremlin, died after drinking tea laced with a rare radioactive isotope at a London hotel.
On his deathbed, he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of responsibility.
Ben Emmerson, a lawyer for Litvinenko’s widow Marina, told a court hearing that it was vital that the inquest investigate “the criminal role of the Russian state.”
Emmerson said that if official Russian involvement was proved, it would constitute “an act of statesponsored nuclear terrorism on the streets of London.”
Judge Robert Owen, who will lead the inquest, said its scope would be decided at a later hearing, but indicated he was inclined to agree it should look at Russia’s alleged role.
Owen said it was “to be regretted” that no inquest has been held in the nearly six years since the Litvinenko died.
He said he would open his inquest as early in 2013 as possible.
The killing cast a pall over BritishRussian relations that still persists. British prosecutors have accused two Russians, Alexander Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, of killing Litvinenko, but Russia refuses to hand them over.
Lawyer Hugh Davies, the inquest’s counsel, said all the parties involved, including lawyers for the Litvinenko family, Lugovoi and the British government, would get a police report into Litvinenko’s death before the inquest begins. One section, however, will be censored — the results of police inquiries into whether Litvinenko was in contact with Britain’s MI6 intelligence service.
Davies said the judge and the inquiry’s lawyers had seen the full report. The redaction “should not be taken as indicating one way or another” whether Litvinenko had dealings with British spies, he said.
The judge set another pre-inquest hearing for Nov. 2.