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| Litvinenko murder suspect dismisses inquiry as 'nonsense' | Litvinenko murder suspect dismisses inquiry as 'nonsense' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former Russian spy Andrei Lugovoi has denounced the British inquiry that said he was one of the state-directed murderers of dissident Alexander Litvinenko, describing it as “nonsense”. | The former Russian spy Andrei Lugovoi has denounced the British inquiry that said he was one of the state-directed murderers of dissident Alexander Litvinenko, describing it as “nonsense”. |
| Speaking to the BBC, the former KGB bodyguard and FSB secret service agent dismissed the findings of Sir Robert Owen, chairman of the inquiry that said President Vladimir Putin “probably” approved the assassination of Litvinenko in London in 2006. | Speaking to the BBC, the former KGB bodyguard and FSB secret service agent dismissed the findings of Sir Robert Owen, chairman of the inquiry that said President Vladimir Putin “probably” approved the assassination of Litvinenko in London in 2006. |
| Lugovoi said: “I’ve seen the nonsense conclusions of your judge who has clearly gone mad. I saw nothing new there. I am very sorry that 10 years on nothing new has been presented, only invention, supposition, rumours. | Lugovoi said: “I’ve seen the nonsense conclusions of your judge who has clearly gone mad. I saw nothing new there. I am very sorry that 10 years on nothing new has been presented, only invention, supposition, rumours. |
| “And the fact that such words as ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’ were used in the report, means there is no proof, nothing concrete against us.” | “And the fact that such words as ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’ were used in the report, means there is no proof, nothing concrete against us.” |
| Related: Key findings: who killed Alexander Litvinenko, how and why | Related: Key findings: who killed Alexander Litvinenko, how and why |
| Lugovoi and a second man, Dmitry Kovtun, are believed to have killed Litvinenko by lacing a pot of tea given to him during a meeting at the Millennium hotel in central London with polonium-210, a lethal radioactive poison. | Lugovoi and a second man, Dmitry Kovtun, are believed to have killed Litvinenko by lacing a pot of tea given to him during a meeting at the Millennium hotel in central London with polonium-210, a lethal radioactive poison. |
| Both fled back to Russia and did not return to Britain to give evidence at the year-long inquiry, which returned its findings on Thursday. | Both fled back to Russia and did not return to Britain to give evidence at the year-long inquiry, which returned its findings on Thursday. |
| Lugovoi said the allegations were “an open lie” that were “linked to exclusively political goals” intended to escalate relations with the Kremlin. | Lugovoi said the allegations were “an open lie” that were “linked to exclusively political goals” intended to escalate relations with the Kremlin. |
| Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, called for all Russian intelligence agents to be thrown out of the UK and for further economic sanctions against Moscow. She said it would be unthinkable for the British government to ignore the findings of the Owen inquiry. | Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, called for all Russian intelligence agents to be thrown out of the UK and for further economic sanctions against Moscow. She said it would be unthinkable for the British government to ignore the findings of the Owen inquiry. |
| In a frank letter to David Cameron, Marina Litvinenko called for a firm response. She demanded travel bans and sanctions on at least twelve individuals. The list included Putin, Nikolai Patrushev, the FSB’s boss at the time, and other Russian state entities. She also intends to sue the Russian government in the British courts. | In a frank letter to David Cameron, Marina Litvinenko called for a firm response. She demanded travel bans and sanctions on at least twelve individuals. The list included Putin, Nikolai Patrushev, the FSB’s boss at the time, and other Russian state entities. She also intends to sue the Russian government in the British courts. |
| The home secretary, Theresa May, has signalled that the UK government had little appetite for imposing punitive measures on Russia, though she acknowledged that Litvinenko’s murder amounted to a “blatant and unacceptable” breach of international law. The probable involvement of Putin’s Kremlin came as no surprise, May told the Commons. | The home secretary, Theresa May, has signalled that the UK government had little appetite for imposing punitive measures on Russia, though she acknowledged that Litvinenko’s murder amounted to a “blatant and unacceptable” breach of international law. The probable involvement of Putin’s Kremlin came as no surprise, May told the Commons. |
| May told MPs she would be asking Interpol to issue European arrest warrants for Lugovoi and Kovtun but proposed no wider action against the Russian state. “This was an act of murder that took place in the streets of London and it was state-sponsored,” she said. “The conclusion that the Russian state was probably involved in the murder is deeply disturbing.” | May told MPs she would be asking Interpol to issue European arrest warrants for Lugovoi and Kovtun but proposed no wider action against the Russian state. “This was an act of murder that took place in the streets of London and it was state-sponsored,” she said. “The conclusion that the Russian state was probably involved in the murder is deeply disturbing.” |
| However, May added that there was a wider national security interest in retaining a guarded engagement with Russia, including working with Russia to bring about a peace settlement in Syria. She pointed out that it was impossible for Britain to seek to impose a travel ban on a head of state, and said Britain had no illusions about the state of Russia. | However, May added that there was a wider national security interest in retaining a guarded engagement with Russia, including working with Russia to bring about a peace settlement in Syria. She pointed out that it was impossible for Britain to seek to impose a travel ban on a head of state, and said Britain had no illusions about the state of Russia. |
| The government’s response also included a Treasury freeze of Lugovoi and Kovtun’s assets. But Litvinenko’s legal team said the gesture was largely symbolic; her lawyer Ben Emmerson said it would be “craven” of the prime minister not to take further action, after what Emmerson dubbed an act of nuclear state terror on the streets of London. | The government’s response also included a Treasury freeze of Lugovoi and Kovtun’s assets. But Litvinenko’s legal team said the gesture was largely symbolic; her lawyer Ben Emmerson said it would be “craven” of the prime minister not to take further action, after what Emmerson dubbed an act of nuclear state terror on the streets of London. |
| Cameron, speaking from the world economic forum in Davos, said the murder was a shocking event but said it was necessary to continue to work with Russia. “Do we at some level have to go on having some sort of relationship with them because we need a solution to the Syria crisis? Yes, we do but we do it with clear eyes and a very cold heart.” | Cameron, speaking from the world economic forum in Davos, said the murder was a shocking event but said it was necessary to continue to work with Russia. “Do we at some level have to go on having some sort of relationship with them because we need a solution to the Syria crisis? Yes, we do but we do it with clear eyes and a very cold heart.” |
| Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press spokesman, dismissed the inquiry as a “quasi-investigation”. He ridiculed the judge’s use of “probably” and called his report an example of “subtle British humour”. | Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press spokesman, dismissed the inquiry as a “quasi-investigation”. He ridiculed the judge’s use of “probably” and called his report an example of “subtle British humour”. |
| Putin has already ruled out any possibility of extradition in blunt terms. In 2007 the then foreign secretary, David Miliband, expelled four Russian diplomats in protest. | Putin has already ruled out any possibility of extradition in blunt terms. In 2007 the then foreign secretary, David Miliband, expelled four Russian diplomats in protest. |
| The Press Association contributed to this report |