Widow’s lawyer: Russia repeatedly tried to obstruct Litvinenko inquiry, Putin

The former Russian spy was poisoned in November 2006 by Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who laced Litvinenko’s tea with the radioactive isotope polonium-210. After Litvinenko’s death, British experts alleged that a considerable amount of radioactive polonium-210 had been found in his body.

“And if the Russian state is responsible, Vladimir Putin is responsible”.

The inquiry’s report is due by the end of the year.

Once an officer with the Federal Security Service (FSB), which replaced the KGB, Litvinenko fled to Britain claiming persecution and was granted asylum.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Kovtun could not give evidence to a British court in the current legal proceedings via a video link because “such questioning would contradict the current worldwide treaties between Russia and the UK in the sphere of legal assistance and police cooperation, and also the Russian legislation on criminal procedure”.

“My husband was killed by agents of the Russian state in the first ever act of nuclear terrorism on the streets of London and this could not have happened without the knowledge and consent of Mr Putin”, she told reporters.

“That approach speaks volumes and provides significant support, sir, for the conclusion that Mr Putin and his cronies were not only behind the murder but now stand foursquare behind the murderers”.

“The evidence suggests that the only credible explanation is that in one way or another the Russian state was involved in Litvinenko’s murder, ‘ Horwell said, adding that Russia had a ‘formidable list” of grievances against Litvinenko.

“Why would Putin care about a bodyguard of Mr Berezovsky?”

“The inquiry named Kovtun and Lugovoi as people who are responsible for killing Litvinenko but they are not going to be punished”.

He said there was no evidence that the spy was involved in the polonium trade, and added that the suggestion he committed suicide was “a particularly spiteful and insensitive accusation” as he had “everything to live for”.

Mr Nikonov told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “From the very beginning it was clear that Russian Federation would be blamed, though I don’t see a single reason why they would like to see Mr Litvinenko dead”.

Her lawyer called Mr Putin a “tin pot despot” who personally ordered the poisoning.

But during the course of the high-profile hearing, the inquiry heard fresh evidence including testimony from a friend of Mr. Kovtun. Last year, the government announced a judge-led public inquiry, which opened in January.

Exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky died in uncertain circumstances in Surrey in March 2013 after falling foul of Putin and amid claims he was about to hand the Russian president evidence of a coup plot. Horwell even mentioned a quote supposedly made by bloody Russian dictator Josef Stalin, which translates as “no men, no problem”, saying it resonated with Litvinenko’s death. “And for all Litvinenko’s targets, Putin was the one most frequently in his sights”.

Mr Emmerson spelled out in detail how large traces of polonium were found in the hotel rooms that Lugovoy and Kovtun stayed at when they came to London before visiting Mr Litvinenko.

The British government had initially rejected requests to hold a public inquiry, but the decision was reversed after she challenged it in court.