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Litvinenko poison 'from Russia' | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The radioactive substance used to poison Alexander Litvinenko was highly likely to have come from a Russian state-controlled plant, says a lawyer. | |
Russia has previously denied the poison had been stolen from the country. | |
The former KGB agent's widow Marina wants to put pressure on Russia and find out who killed her husband. | |
Speaking on the anniversary of his death, Louise Christian, who is acting for Marina, said they were taking it to the European Court of Human Rights. | |
Mr Litvinenko died in London's University College Hospital after being poisoned by polonium-210. | |
Outspoken critic | Outspoken critic |
Alex Goldfarb, a friend of Mr Litvinenko, said his friends and family would keep up the pressure for those responsible to be brought to justice. | |
"It looks unlikely that diplomacy and legal processes will result in bringing the perpetrators of this murder to justice here in London," he told a news conference. | |
Instead, he said supporters would begin to speak about the "culpability of the Russian government" and would step up their campaign on the international scene. | |
Last year Russia's nuclear chief rejected suggestions that the polonium-210 linked to Mr Litvinenko's death could have been stolen from the country. | |
Earlier on Friday Mrs Litvinenko was joined by supporters outside the hospital, where her husband died. | |
There was a reading of Mr Litvinenko's death-bed statement accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of being involved in his murder. | |
Relations between Britain and Russia have gone from strained to rocky BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner Analysis: Litvinenko death | Relations between Britain and Russia have gone from strained to rocky BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner Analysis: Litvinenko death |
The Litvinenko family's legal move is being led by high-profile solicitor Louise Christian, who has represented the cases of Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay and relatives of the Potters Bar rail crash victims. | The Litvinenko family's legal move is being led by high-profile solicitor Louise Christian, who has represented the cases of Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay and relatives of the Potters Bar rail crash victims. |
Earlier she said: "If serious crime on the scale of this poisoning is allowed to go unpunished it brings into disrepute the whole authority of the police, the courts and the government. | |
"The British government must ensure this does not happen. The rule of law itself will be under threat if there is any suggestion that justice has been compromised because of diplomatic or foreign policy considerations." | "The British government must ensure this does not happen. The rule of law itself will be under threat if there is any suggestion that justice has been compromised because of diplomatic or foreign policy considerations." |
Mr Litvinenko, who was an outspoken critic of Mr Putin's leadership in Russia, died after drinking tea containing the poison. | |
UK-Russian relations | UK-Russian relations |
Andrei Lugovoi is considered the main suspect in the case but has denied any involvement. | |
The UK wants him to stand trial but attempts to extradite him have been unsuccessful. | |
The businessman, who is running for a seat in the Russian parliament, claims the British case for his extradition has collapsed. | |
Mr Lugovoi rejects all charges and has just won a libel case against a prominent Russian newspaper. | Mr Lugovoi rejects all charges and has just won a libel case against a prominent Russian newspaper. |
In the wake of the Litvinenko affair there has been a deterioration in UK-Russian relations. | In the wake of the Litvinenko affair there has been a deterioration in UK-Russian relations. |
There have been tit-for-tat expulsions of first Russian then British diplomats, and a suspension of co-operation between security services, with no sign of either government inclined to back down. | There have been tit-for-tat expulsions of first Russian then British diplomats, and a suspension of co-operation between security services, with no sign of either government inclined to back down. |
BBC News security correspondent Frank Gardner says mutual suspicions are back close to where they were in the dark days of the Cold War. |