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Dead ex-spy accused his killers Dead Russian ex-spy accuses Putin
(40 minutes later)
Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, in a statement dictated before he died, has accused the "person responsible" of being "barbaric and ruthless". Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death, in a statement dictated before he died.
Mr Litvinenko, 43, died on Thursday evening at University College Hospital, London. It is thought he was poisoned. Mr Litvinenko, 43, who died in a London hospital on Thursday evening and is thought to have been poisoned, said his killer was "barbaric and ruthless".
Protest from around the world "will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life," he said.
The Kremlin has dismissed allegations it was involved as "sheer nonsense".
Scotland Yard said officers were now investigating "an unexplained death".Scotland Yard said officers were now investigating "an unexplained death".
Friends say the former KGB agent was poisoned because of his criticism of the Russian government. The Kremlin has denied any involvement. Friends say the former KGB agent was poisoned because of his criticism of Russia.
In the statement, read out by his friend Alex Goldfarb outside UCH, Mr Litvinenko said he had a "message to the person responsible for my present condition". 'Barbaric and ruthless'
"You may succeed in silencing me, but that silence comes at a price," the statement said. In the statement, read out by his friend Alex Goldfarb outside University College Hospital, London, Mr Litvinenko said he had a "message to the person responsible for my present condition".
"You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed. "You may succeed in silencing me, but that silence comes at a price.
"You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilised value." "You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed."
His killer had "shown yourself unworthy of your office" and "unworthy of the trust of civilised men and women", the statement added.
"The howl of protest from around the world will reverberate Mr Putin in your ears for the rest of your life.
Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated the Kremlin's earlier dismissal of allegations of involvement in the poisoning as sheer nonsense.
"Any death is always a tragedy," he said.
"Now it's up to the UK law enforcement agencies to investigate what happened."