This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31096849
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Litvinenko's wife says he feared reprisals after Berezovsky claim | Litvinenko's wife says he feared reprisals after Berezovsky claim |
(35 minutes later) | |
Alexander Litvinenko expected to be arrested or killed after he accused Russia's spy agency of asking him to murder Boris Beresovsky, his wife Marina has told a UK court. | Alexander Litvinenko expected to be arrested or killed after he accused Russia's spy agency of asking him to murder Boris Beresovsky, his wife Marina has told a UK court. |
At the inquiry into the Russian ex-spy's death, Mrs Litvinenko spoke about how her husband lost faith in his work. | At the inquiry into the Russian ex-spy's death, Mrs Litvinenko spoke about how her husband lost faith in his work. |
He grew disillusioned with the first Chechen War and corruption within the Russian secret service, she said. | |
He told the FSB's then leader Vladimir Putin of his concerns, his widow said. | He told the FSB's then leader Vladimir Putin of his concerns, his widow said. |
It is the first time Mrs Litvinenko has given evidence at the public inquiry into the death of Mr Litvinenko, who died in a London hospital in 2006 from radiation poisoning. | |
Mrs Litvinenko told the court that after a press conference in 1998 - where her husband stated publicly that he had been asked to murder businessman Boris Berezovsk - he confided in her that he thought he would soon be killed or arrested. | |
He said he feared that their whole family would be held responsible - something that led to their decision to leave Russia. | |
'I'm a KGB officer' | |
Mrs Litvinenko explained how they later flew to the UK where they were given asylum and changed their names. | |
At Heathrow, Mr Litvinenko apparently approached a police officer and said: "I'm a KGB officer and I'm asking for political asylum." | |
It is already known that Mr Litvinenko revealed he was asked to carry out a murder, but on Monday the court heard new details about his career and how he got to know Russian businessman Mr Berezovsky. | |
Mr Litvinenko joined the secret service - then the KGB - towards the end of the Cold War and later, after it had been renamed the FSB, he became part of an anti-terrorist unit. | |
He next joined a specialist unit targeting organised crime, through which he met Mr Berezovsky. | |
The barrister representing the Litvinenko family claimed earlier in the inquiry that Mr Litvinenko was murdered for attempting to "expose the corruption" at the heart of Vladimir Putin's "mafia state". | |
Ben Emmerson QC said there was "no doubt" that two Russians, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, were responsible. | |
Both men have denied any involvement and remain in Russia. |