3 years ago
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LONDON — The European Court of Human Rights connected Tuesday backed the decision of a British enquiry that Russia was liable for the sidesplitting of Alexander Litvinenko, who died successful London successful 2006 aft drinking beverage laced with a radioactive material.
A erstwhile cause for the KGB and the post-Soviet successor bureau FSB, Litvinenko defected from Russia successful 2000 and fled to London. While successful Britain, Litvinenko became progressive successful exposing corruption and links to organized transgression successful the Russian quality service.
He fell violently sick connected Nov. 1, 2006, aft drinking beverage with 2 Russian men astatine a London hotel, and spent 3 weeks successful the infirmary earlier helium died. His beverage was recovered to person been laced with radioactive polonium-210.
The British enquiry concluded successful aboriginal 2016 that Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun had killed Litvinenko, and that President Vladimir Putin had “probably approved” the operation.
Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, took the lawsuit to the Strasbourg-based court.
The European court, which is not a assemblage of the European Union, backed the British decision successful its verdict connected Tuesday but rejected Marina Litvinenko’s assertion for “punitive” damages.
“The Court recovered successful peculiar that determination was a beardown prima facie lawsuit that, successful poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Lugovoi and Mr. Kovtun had been acting arsenic agents of the Russian State,” it said.
It besides noted that the Russian authorities had “failed to supply immoderate different satisfactory and convincing mentation of the events oregon antagonistic the findings of the U.K. inquiry.”
Both Lugovoi and Kovtun contradict immoderate engagement successful the killing.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov brushed speech the European court’s verdict.
“We’re not acceptable to instrumentality specified rulings connected board,” helium told reporters.
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