Oleg Gordievsky has been appointed a Companion of the Most Distinguished order of Saint Michael and Satin George for “services to the security of the United Kingdom”, Buckingham Palace said Saturday.
Photo: AP
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Soviet Defector Gordievsky to Be Honored By British Queen
Oleg Gordievsky, the highest-ranking KGB officer to defect to the West, is to be honored by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II despite growing tensions between London and Moscow. Another award in the queen’s list goes to judge Timothy Workman, who ruled not to extradite self-exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky and Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakayev to Moscow.
Oleg Gordievsky has been appointed a Companion of the Most Distinguished order of Saint Michael and Satin George for “services to the security of the United Kingdom”, Buckingham Palace said Saturday.
Mr. Gordievsky ran the KGB bureau in the UK in early 1980s when he was recruited by the MI6, providing a large amount of information about Soviet agents in the country. He was ordered back to Moscow in 1985 where he stood trial. Mr. Gordievsky escaped from the Soviet Union and defected to Britain.
In another Russia-related award, the senior district judge Timothy Workman, chief magistrate for London, is appointed CBE for services to the administration of justice. Mr. Workman became known internationally after he ruled in 2003 not to extradite London residents Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakayev to Moscow.
Other famous names on the list include author Salman Rushdie, reporter Christiane Amanpour, singer Joe Cocker and soccer player Teddy Sheringham.
The award for the former KGB spy comes amid growing tension between London and Moscow over diplomatic wrangling about the murder of former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 18, 2007
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