Kremlin dismisses British Litvinenko inquiry as a ‘joke’

He died three weeks after drinking green tea laced with a rare and very potent radioactive isotope, polonium-210, at London’s Millennium Hotel.

On his deathbed, Mr Litvinenko accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of ordering his assassination – an allegation the Kremlin denies.

A British judge says Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved a plan by Russia’s FSB security service to kill former agent Alexander Litvinenko.

– 2007: British prosecutors charge Lugovoi, an ex-FSB agent, with murder, but Moscow refuses to extradite him.

His widow, Marina Litvinenko, said she was pleased with the outcome of the report.

Marina Litvinenko and her legal team pointed the finger at Putin repeatedly in statements to the inquiry that has now concluded.

The U.K. government has put an asset freeze against Lugovoy and Kovtun, May added.

Inquiry chairman Robert Owen said there was “no evidence” to suggest that either Lugovoi or Kovtun had any personal reason to kill Litvinenko and they were likely to be acting under FSB direction. He made clear that the inquiry’s conclusion concerning the Russian State’s probable involvement in this murder was deeply disturbing, demonstrating a flagrant disregard for United Kingdom law, global law and standards of conduct, and the safety of United Kingdom citizens.

Litvinenko told detectives he believed Putin had directly ordered his killing.

The document also claims that Putin’s bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and an accomplice, Dmitry Kovtun, poisoned Litvinenko’s tea in November 2006, dropping in a significant dose of deadly substance polonium-210.

“The open evidence that I have set out above establishes a strong circumstantial case that the Russian state was responsible for Mr Litvinenko’s death”, he added.

Owen said Litvinenko “was regarded as having betrayed the FSB” with his actions, and that “there were powerful motives for organizations and individuals within the Russian state to take action against Mr. Litvinenko, including killing him”.

Russia’s ambassador to London has criticised Britain’s handling of the death of Mr Litvinenko. “The Russian position and the Russian offer to cooperate with the British police has not been taken up”, Brooks said.

The report notes that there was personal “antagonism” between Putin and Litvinenko before the poisoning.

Owen heard the testimony of 62 witnesses over a 6-month period, and the inquiry he led included confidential intelligence briefings.

Litvinenko had worked for the main successor agency to the KGB, the Federal Security Service, before moving to Britain and becoming an outspoken critic of Putin.