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New Elections, Old Poison in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has accused Moscow of hampering the investigation into his poisoning with dioxin in 2004. Yushchenko stated that poison of that type is produced only in the United States, Greta Britain and Russia, and Russia refuses to provide a sample of its product. Major newspapers around the world carried an interview with the Ukrainian president yesterday in which he said that “The role of all of the individuals that might be involved in this case is already determined. The investigation knows who, when, where, which substance was used.”
Yushchenko said that there are three key figures in the case, all of whom are now in Russia. Extradition requests for those persons have been ignored. Yushchenko refused to name Russian authorities as the culprits in his poisoning, however, demurring that “If I respond to that question, then the investigation will have nothing to do.”
The Medved Institute of Ecology and Toxicology in Kiev has just completed a study of the dioxin samples provided by the U.S. and Britain. Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Nikolay Golomsha stated that Russia has ignored three requests for dioxin produced in that country. He added that commercial acquisition of samples would be beyond the framework of the legal field. Ukrainian presidential representative Nikolay Poludenny told Kommersant that attempts to purchase Russian dioxin were thwarted.
Russian Ambassador to Kiev Viktor Chernomyrdin denied that Ukrainian authorities has contacted Russia for aid in the investigation. “I would most likely know if they had,” he commented. The Russian FSB and Investigative Committee made similar comments. Deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department Andrey Krivtsov said that the ministry would not make an official comment on the Ukrainian president's statements.
Natalia Brusentseva of the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia told Kommersant that a request from the Ukrainian side was received by the Russian Foreign Ministry on September 7. “It is now under consideration. Ukraine will receive a response at the appropriate time. There is nothing else I can add,” Brusentseva said.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 12, 2007
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