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Britain Still Demands Lugovoi Extradition
Great Britain continues to insist on the extradition of Russian businessman Andrey Lugovoi, who is a suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. New British Ambassador to Russia Ann Pringle spoke about the case today at press conference in Moscow. This summer, British special services announced that the former FSB agent was killed with the approval of Russian authorities. "We very strongly believe the Litvinenko case to have had some state involvement," a source in British intelligence stated.
Litvinenko died on November 23, 2006, in London from poisoning with Polonium-210. The Crown Prosecution Service made accusations against Lugovoi of the murder on May 22, 2007, and sent an extradition request to Moscow. Lugovoi denied his involvement in the murder and stated that British intelligence had tried to recruit him.
Russia refused to extradite Lugovoi, citing a clause in the Russian Constitution. The British suggestion that the Constitution be changed was also rejected. Thirty people wanted by Russian law enforcement for serious crimes have been granted asylum in Britain. Lugovoi was elected to the Russian State Duma in parliamentary elections at the end of the year, representing the LDPR.
Relations between Russia and Great Britain seriously suffered as a result of the Litvinenko case. Britain expelled four Russian diplomats in the summer of 2007, and four British diplomats were expelled from Russia in response. In December of that year, the British Council branches in St. Petersburg and Ekaterinburg were closed down for legal infringements, but the British linked the action to the Litvinenko case.
www.kommersant.com
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