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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| UK expels four Russian diplomats | UK expels four Russian diplomats |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The UK is to expel four Russian diplomats in response to Moscow's refusal to extradite the prime suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. | |
| Foreign Secretary David Miliband also said co-operation with Russia on a range of issues was under review. | Foreign Secretary David Miliband also said co-operation with Russia on a range of issues was under review. |
| Prosecutors want Andrei Lugovoi, an ex-KGB officer, to face trial in the UK. He denies involvement. | Prosecutors want Andrei Lugovoi, an ex-KGB officer, to face trial in the UK. He denies involvement. |
| Former KGB agent Mr Litvinenko died of exposure to radioactive polonium-210 in London in November 2006. | Former KGB agent Mr Litvinenko died of exposure to radioactive polonium-210 in London in November 2006. |
| The Foreign Office has not named the four Russian diplomats, but the BBC understands they are intelligence officers. | The Foreign Office has not named the four Russian diplomats, but the BBC understands they are intelligence officers. |
| 'Clear and proportionate' | 'Clear and proportionate' |
| Mr Miliband told MPs Russia was an important ally and the situation was one that Britain had "not sought and does not welcome". | Mr Miliband told MPs Russia was an important ally and the situation was one that Britain had "not sought and does not welcome". |
| But he said it was necessary to send a "clear and proportionate signal" to Russia, about the seriousness with which Britain regarded the matter. | But he said it was necessary to send a "clear and proportionate signal" to Russia, about the seriousness with which Britain regarded the matter. |
| A UK citizen has suffered a horrifying and lingering death. David Miliband | A UK citizen has suffered a horrifying and lingering death. David Miliband |
| Under the Council of Europe European Convention on Extradition 1957, the Russians have the right to refuse the extradition of a citizen. | |
| The UK has the right to request that Mr Lugovoi be tried in Russia, but the UK's director of public prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald, has already turned down the offer. | |
| Mr Miliband said Moscow's refusal to extradite Mr Lugovoi had been "extremely disappointing" and said both the UN and EU had reported concerns that the law in Russia was applied selectively. | |
| Co-operation reviewed | Co-operation reviewed |
| He told MPs the four diplomats would be expelled and said international agreements had been reached that would allow Mr Lugovoi to be extradited to the UK if he travelled abroad. | |
| Mr Miliband added: "We shall review the extent of our cooperation with Russia on a range of issues, and as an initial step we have suspended visa facilitation negotiations with Russia and made other changes to visa practice." | |
| KEY EVENTS IN CASE 1 November 2006: Alexander Litvinenko meets Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian at a London hotel 23 November 2006: Litvinenko dies in a London hospital24 November 2006: A Litvinenko statement accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death. Experts say Litvinenko was poisoned 6 December 2006: UK police say they are treating the death as murder 22 May 2007: Lugovoi should be charged with Litvinenko's murder, British prosecutors say 28 May 2007: UK makes formal request for Lugovoi's extradition from Russia Full timeline of events | KEY EVENTS IN CASE 1 November 2006: Alexander Litvinenko meets Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian at a London hotel 23 November 2006: Litvinenko dies in a London hospital24 November 2006: A Litvinenko statement accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death. Experts say Litvinenko was poisoned 6 December 2006: UK police say they are treating the death as murder 22 May 2007: Lugovoi should be charged with Litvinenko's murder, British prosecutors say 28 May 2007: UK makes formal request for Lugovoi's extradition from Russia Full timeline of events |
| The British embassy in Moscow later said that the visa process would only change for applications submitted by the Russian government, not those from ordinary Russians. | |
| The foreign secretary denied it was a "rush to judgment", but said: "A UK citizen has suffered a horrifying and lingering death. | The foreign secretary denied it was a "rush to judgment", but said: "A UK citizen has suffered a horrifying and lingering death. |
| "His murder put hundreds of others, residents and visitors, at risk of radiation contamination, and the UK government has a wider duty to ensure the safety of the large Russian community living in the UK." | "His murder put hundreds of others, residents and visitors, at risk of radiation contamination, and the UK government has a wider duty to ensure the safety of the large Russian community living in the UK." |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said his party supported the tone and substance of the government's response. | Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said his party supported the tone and substance of the government's response. |
| 'Appalling crime' | |
| He said the Conservatives hoped Russia would remain a key ally on issues like nuclear proliferation, the Middle East peace process, Kosovo and Iran, but that would require a "more positive and co-operative approach" from Moscow. | He said the Conservatives hoped Russia would remain a key ally on issues like nuclear proliferation, the Middle East peace process, Kosovo and Iran, but that would require a "more positive and co-operative approach" from Moscow. |
| "An appalling crime of this nature and gravity cannot simply be overlooked," he added. | "An appalling crime of this nature and gravity cannot simply be overlooked," he added. |
| Andrei Lugovoi has denied involvement in the murder | |
| And for the Lib Dems, Michael Moore said the government had been forced to act, because of the lack of co-operation from Moscow. | |
| He added: "The murder of Alexander Litvinenko was a despicable crime, compounded by the perpetrator's reckless disregard for the safety of countless others." | |
| The radioactive isotope used to poison Mr Litvinenko was found in a string of places that Mr Lugovoi visited in London, but he said he was a witness, not a suspect in the case. | The radioactive isotope used to poison Mr Litvinenko was found in a string of places that Mr Lugovoi visited in London, but he said he was a witness, not a suspect in the case. |
| Scapegoat claim | |
| He has said he was made a scapegoat and the poisoning could not have happened without some involvement from the British intelligence services. | |
| He has also claimed that MI6 had tried to recruit him, to collect information on Russian president Vladimir Putin. | |
| The UK's director of public prosecutions has recommended that Mr Lugovoi be tried for murder by "deliberate poisoning". | The UK's director of public prosecutions has recommended that Mr Lugovoi be tried for murder by "deliberate poisoning". |
| Mr Lugovoi has told the BBC's Moscow bureau he has no comment about Mr Miliband's speech. | |
| But former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev reportedly told Russian news agencies: "In the past in similar situations Russia has always taken decisive and adequate measures. | |
| "In the end, both the UK and the US always understood that this approach doesn't work. This matter shouldn't be politicised". |