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Russian ambassador to Great Britain: Litvinenko case may be probed in Russia, if Britain stops politicizing it
Russia is ready to conduct its own investigation of the Litvinenko case, if Britain stops politicizing it and produces the necessary materials, Russian ambassador to Great Britain Yury Fedotov said in an interview with Interfax on Friday.
"If British law enforcement produces relevant documents to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, the possibility of conducting a corresponding probe in Russia could be considered," he said.
"We have experience of conducting such investigations. Meanwhile, Britain continues to insist that Russia expel its citizen thus pushing us to directly break the Constitution," the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.
"It is precisely the Litvinenko case, or primarily London's efforts to politicize it that have resulted in a visible aggravation of Russian-British relations. Meanwhile, there is a practical way out of the present situation that has been tested in international legal practices," Fedotov said.
Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) who had lived in Britain since 2000 died in a London hospital in November 2006 as a result of poisoning from radioactive polonium. In May 2007 the British authorities charged Andrei Lugovoi, another former Russian security officer and current State Duma member, and two Russian businessmen who met Litvinenko three weeks before his death with murder. They insisted that Russia extradite Lugovoi. However, Russia refused because under the constitution a Russian citizen cannot be extradited to a foreign state. Lugovoi has pleaded his innocence.
The Russian ambassador also said that Russia had not got a reasonable answer about the expulsion of Chechen separatist emissary Akhmad Zakayev and business tycoon Boris Berezovsky.
London's refusal to expel Chechen separatist emissary Akhmad Zakayev and business tycoon Boris Berezovsky is clouding the atmosphere of Russian-UK relations, Fedotov said.
"The Prosecutor General's office has sent a series of queries to the British side concerning legal assistance in criminal cases against Russian citizens who have found refuge in Great Britain. The number of pleas for their extradition exceeds 20," he said.
"Unfortunately, we have not received a reasonable reply from London concerning any of them. Naturally, this is not having a positive effect on the general atmosphere of Russian-British relations," Fedotov said responding to the question whether Russia continues to insist on the expulsion of Zakayev and Berezovsky and whether the refusal of the British side affects the atmosphere of bilateral relations.
The Prosecutor General's office has declared Zakayev and Berezovsky internationally wanted and demanded their extradition. The British authorities have granted them asylum.
Legal status of British Council not determined
The British Council will be able to resume its work in Russia in full measure after the resumption of the British-Russian cooperation in the antiterrorist fight, Russian ambassador to London Yuri Fedotov said.
"The British Council continues to work in Moscow but it is rather our goodwill," he told Interfax on Friday.
"The problems of the legal status of this organization have not been completely settled. To this end it is necessary to sign a bilateral agreement on the information and culture centers providing for legal terms for the operation of the British Council in this country," he said.
"The text of this agreement is almost ready, but the work was blocked by the measures adopted by London a year ago. The work on this agreement can resume only after Britain takes some reciprocal steps such as resuming cooperation in the antiterrorist area and conclusion of the talks on easing the visa regime," he said.
According to earlier reports, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that Britain close the British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg alleging that the British Council had no legal status for operation in Russia. The British Council said it would continue to work in the Russian regions.
This position of the British Council was slammed by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The latter said that Russia might put administrative and legal pressure on the British Council branches in the regions and might also adopt additional measures in relation to the British Council office in Moscow.
Based on this situation, the British Council leadership decided on February 17 to suspend the operation of its branches in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
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