Snub to Miliband over Litvinenko suspect

Published on Monday 2 November 2009 21:23

FOREIGN secretary David Miliband yesterday pressed Russia to turn over the main suspect in the 2006 killing of the former Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died from radioactive polonium poisoning in a London hospital.

Russia has refused to extradite the businessman and former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi, saying its constitution forbids extraditing its citizens.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov used the same argument yesterday in refusing the request from Mr Miliband, who insisted Britain would continue to demand justice over the "horrific murder".

Mr Lavrov said Russia was willing to prosecute any suspect if Britain provided the evidence. Mr Miliband said Britain had already provided such evidence – which Mr Lavrov denies.

Before he died, Mr Litvinenko recorded a message in hospital blaming the Russian authorities, including the then president, Vladimir Putin, for his killing.

The Litvinenko case pushed British-Russian relations to a post-Cold War low, and ties have been further strained by mutual allegations of spying.