Litvinenko lawyer claims Russian state ‘involved’ in ex-KGB agent’s poisoning

The Russian state is ‘in one form or another’ is involved in the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, claimed the victim’s layer, adding that Litvinenko’s radioactive poisoning might have affected people in London.

"The evidence suggests that the only credible explanation is that in one form or another the Russian state was involved in Litvinenko's murder," Richard Horwell, the lawyer acting for London police, said in closing remarks to the British inquiry.

According to Horwell, “there can be no doubt that the Russian state had reasons aplenty for wishing Litvinenko not only harm but death.”
Litvinenko left Russia in 2000 and sought asylum in the UK, where he would eventually acquire British citizenship just one month before his death.

He is believed to have been poisoned with radioactive Polonium-210 in November 2006 after meeting with former colleagues Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, whom the Crown Prosecution Service accused of carrying out the poisoning.

Earlier, Horwell said that Londoners might have received the radiation poisoning from Litvinenko.

READ MORE: ​‘Russia-UK economic relations degrading over politics, policies & perceptions’

"We will never know how dangerous the exposure of polonium to the public at large will be and what long term effects will be visited upon Londoners.”

He added that anyone who "arranges for polonium-210 to be brought into a city centre does so without any regard for human life.”

Author and Russia analyst Martin McCauley told RT that Horwell’s speech is only an accusation “because in law you have to prove your accusations,” adding that the term ‘Russian state’ is very vague in the context of the layer’s recent announcement.

“And what is meant by the term ‘Russian State’? Does it mean the official government agencies, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defence? Does it mean President Putin?”

According to the expert, the Russian results on the investigation into Litvinenko’s death should be taken into consideration by the British side.

McCauley believes that the fact that British authorities are now rumbling on Litvinenko case nine years after his death may be linked to “Russian sanctions which EU has imposed on Russia over Crimea and eastern Ukraine.”

The West is “keeping blame on Russia and [is] pointing the finger at Russia, saying that [Russia] has committed more crimes.”