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Marina Litvinenko: 'You can silence one person but not the whole world' Marina Litvinenko: 'You can silence one person but not the whole world'
(about 1 hour later)
One day before it was published, Marina Litvinenko and her son, Anatoly, sat down to read the report on the murder of her husband and his father. They were invited to a government office and sworn, for 24 hours, to secrecy. She had no idea what was in it. It was the culmination of a long struggle: to discover the truth about Alexander Litvinenko’s death. One day before it was published, Marina Litvinenko and her son, Anatoly, sat down to read the report on the murder of her husband and his father. They were invited to a government office and sworn, for 24 hours, to secrecy. They had no idea what was in it. It was the culmination of a long struggle: to discover the truth about Alexander Litvinenko’s death.
The report was a chunky blue booklet running to 328 pages. Its author, the retired high court judge Sir Robert Owen, had chaired last year’s public inquiry into Litvinenko’s poisoning in a Mayfair bar in November 2006. But how far would Owen go? Would he blame the Russian state, and Vladimir Putin personally? The report was a chunky blue booklet running to 328 pages. Its author, the retired high court judge Sir Robert Owen, had chaired last year’s public inquiry into Litvinenko’s poisoning in a Mayfair bar in November 2006. But how far would Owen go? Would he blame the Russian state, and President Vladimir Putin personally?
“We looked at the report and thought: ‘Yes!’” Mrs Litvinenko said on Thursday. She spoke to the Guardian after Owen’s bombshell finding that Putin and his spy chief, Nikolai Patrushev, had “probably approved” the FSB’s killing of Litvinenko with polonium-210. “We looked at the report and thought: ‘Yes!’” Marina said on Thursday. She spoke to the Guardian after Owen’s bombshell finding that Putin and his spy chief, Nikolai Patrushev, had “probably approved” the FSB’s killing of Litvinenko with polonium-210.
Related: Litvinenko 'probably murdered on personal orders of Putin'Related: Litvinenko 'probably murdered on personal orders of Putin'
The judge’s conclusions surprised them, said Marina Litvinenko. Not because she disagreed with Owen, but because few people are willing to accuse Russia’s president so directly, or to take quite such a brave course. “It was a very important message,” she said. The judge’s conclusions surprised them, said Marina. Not because she disagreed with Owen, but because few people are willing to accuse Russia’s president so directly, or to take quite such a brave course. “It was a very important message,” she said.
The inquiry held at the high court came in two parts. There were public hearings that ran over four months, and in which Marina gave evidence, including a moving account of her husband’s life and gruesome death. But there were also secret hearings. These closed sessions featured restricted government material – almost certainly from MI6, Litvinenko’s old employer, and the government listening station GCHQ.The inquiry held at the high court came in two parts. There were public hearings that ran over four months, and in which Marina gave evidence, including a moving account of her husband’s life and gruesome death. But there were also secret hearings. These closed sessions featured restricted government material – almost certainly from MI6, Litvinenko’s old employer, and the government listening station GCHQ.
Was it this secret material that led Owen to his damning conclusion? “We always knew this material would not be publicly shown. But the judge was able to see it and it was very important,” Mrs Litvinenko said. She has not been allowed to view any classified files but believes that they will eventually get out. “One day we will know the details,” she said. Was it this secret material that led Owen to his damning conclusion? “We always knew this material would not be publicly shown. But the judge was able to see it and it was very important,” Marina said. She has not been allowed to view any classified files but believes that they will eventually get out. “One day we will know the details.”
It has taken a long time to get to this point. Initially, the case was delayed in the hope that the two men accused of the murder, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, would be extradited from Moscow. Then, Theresa May, the home secretary, turned down Mrs Litvinenko’s request for a public inquiry. May cited “international relations” as a factor: in other words not annoying Putin, Litvinenko’s former FSB boss. Marina Litvinenko fought that decision in the high court – and won. It has taken a long time to get to this point. Initially, the case was delayed in the hope that the two men accused of the murder, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, would be extradited from Moscow. Then, Theresa May, the home secretary, turned down Marina’s request for a public inquiry. May cited “international relations” as a factor: in other words, not annoying Putin, Litvinenko’s former boss at the Russian intelligence agency FSB. Marina fought that decision in the high court, and won.
“We have achieved a tremendous amount,” she said, speaking at Matrix Chambers, the offices of her barrister, Ben Emmerson, just down the road from the Royal Courts of Justice. “So many people said: ‘You’ll never get an inquiry; it won’t happen.’ Then they didn’t believe Sir Robert Owen would deliver his report. Now we have hard facts. I feel very emotional.”“We have achieved a tremendous amount,” she said, speaking at Matrix Chambers, the offices of her barrister, Ben Emmerson, just down the road from the Royal Courts of Justice. “So many people said: ‘You’ll never get an inquiry; it won’t happen.’ Then they didn’t believe Sir Robert Owen would deliver his report. Now we have hard facts. I feel very emotional.”
She recognises that Owen’s verdict is a “political moment” and, of course, another low in the UK’s eternally vexed relations with Russia. But she said: “For me, it’s personal. I was able to get through all these long years because it was my personal case. It was my husband who was killed. It was my thirst to know who killed him and who was responsible.” She recognises that Owen’s verdict is a “political moment” and, of course, another low in the UK’s eternally vexed relations with Russia. But, she said: “For me, it’s personal. I was able to get through all these long years because it was my personal case. It was my husband who was killed. It was my thirst to know who killed him and who was responsible.”
Marina’s son Anatoly was at her side as Owen presented his findings on Thursday. He was just 12 when his father died. At a press conference afterwards, Anatoly shifted uncomfortably when asked what he remembered of his father. “It isn’t easy. It’s still difficult for him,” Marina said. Anatoly has exams: he is in his final year at University College London, reading east European politics. He took two days off to read the report. Anatoly, who was 12 when his father died, was at his mother’s side as Owen presented his findings on Thursday. At a press conference afterwards, he shifted uncomfortably when asked what he remembered of his father.
Could she envisage a time when she and Anatoly might go back to Russia? “I very much miss my mother who is now alone,” she replied. Last summer, soon after the public inquiry wound up, her father – also Anatoly – died. He was in his 80s, living in Moscow, an occasional visitor to the UK. “I couldn’t go to the funeral. I realised you have to pay the ‘price’. Unfortunately the price is I cannot go to Russia.” “It isn’t easy,” his mother said. “It’s still difficult for him.” Currently in his final year at University College London, where he is reading east European politics and has exams on the horizon, Anatoly took two days off to read the report.
Could Marina envisage a time when she and Anatoly might return to Russia?
“I very much miss my mother who is now alone,” she replied.
Last summer, soon after the public inquiry wound up, her father – also Anatoly – died. He was in his 80s, living in Moscow, an occasional visitor to the UK.
“I couldn’t go to the funeral. I realised you have to pay the ‘price’. Unfortunately the price is I cannot go to Russia.”
Related: Litvinenko inquiry: the key playersRelated: Litvinenko inquiry: the key players
Marina misses her friends at home but says the political reality in Russia means she does not feel safe there. “You never know who might give an order to do something against you. It might not come direct from the top. It could be some ‘patriot’”. She makes clear her conflict was never with her fellow Russians – rather, it’s with the country’s dug-in KGB regime. “I wish Russia to be a successful place, a happy country,” she said. Marina said she missed her friends at home but the political reality in Russia meant she did not feel safe there.
At the moment, talented Russians are doing everything they can to get out, she noted. She sees herself as the real patriot, as opposed to the fake patriots in the Kremlin who – despite their nationalist rhetoric – invariably have property in the west and use offshore bank accounts to hide their assets. “I want my son one day to go back to Russia, to do something in Russia, to be proud of Russia,” she said. “You never know who might give an order to do something against you. It might not come direct from the top. It could be some ‘patriot’”.
On his deathbed, Alexander Litvinenko gave a remarkable series of interviews to Scotland Yard. He directly accused Putin of having ordered his murder. And, with uncanny prescience, he predicted that pragmatic political considerations might interfere with getting justice in his case. Now, Marina Litvinenko says, the moment of justice has finally arrived. The truth is out. She makes clear her conflict was never with her fellow Russians – rather, it is with the country’s dug-in KGB regime. “I wish Russia to be a successful place, a happy country,” she said.
In a statement read out after his death, Litvinenko acknowledged that the Russian president could easily silence one man but could not drown out the “howl of protest from around the world” at his actions. Marina said: “I believe what my husband Sasha Litvinenko said. You can of course silence one person. But you can’t silence the world.” At the moment, talented Russians were doing everything they could to get out, she noted. She sees herself as the real patriot, as opposed to the fake patriots in the Kremlin who – despite their nationalist rhetoric – invariably have property in the west and use offshore bank accounts to hide their assets.
“I want my son one day to go back to Russia, to do something in Russia, to be proud of Russia,” she said.
On his deathbed, Litvinenko gave a remarkable series of interviews to Scotland Yard. He directly accused Putin of having ordered his murder. And, with uncanny prescience, he predicted that pragmatic political considerations might interfere with getting justice in his case. Now, Marina Litvinenko said, the moment of justice had finally arrived. The truth was out.
In a statement read out after his death, Litvinenko acknowledged that the Russian president could easily silence one man but could not drown out the “howl of protest from around the world” at his actions.
Marina said: “I believe what my husband Sasha Litvinenko said. You can of course silence one person. But you can’t silence the world.”