Litvinenko case poisons UK-Russian relations
Britain's move to charge a Russian businessman for last year's murder of a Kremlin critic may affect cooperation on a range of international issues.
from the May 23, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Russian analysts, meanwhile, note that the general public is distinctly uninterested in the affairs of exiles in London and generally swallows the Kremlin line that it was a big Boris Berezovsky plot.
"Russia has consistently claimed that the Litvinenko murder was carried out by rogue Russian oligarchs, namely Boris Berezovsky, and therefore never liked the British investigation, which went in a different direction," says Dmitry Suslov of the independent Council on Foreign and Defence Policy.
Fred Weir contributed from Moscow.
Key dates in Litvinenko case
Nov. 1, 2006 – Alexander Litvinenko meets ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi and others in London. He later falls ill.
Nov. 23 – Mr. Litvinenko dies.
Nov. 24 – A statement dictated by Litvinenko is released blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering his death; Mr. Putin's government denies involvement.
Dec. 4 – Scotland Yard detectives interview potential witnesses in Russia.
Dec. 5 – Russia says no suspects will be extradited to Britain and Russian suspects would be tried in Russia.
Dec. 6 – Scotland Yard announces it is treating the death as murder.
Jan. 27, 2007 – Mr. Lugovoi criticizes reports naming him as a suspect and denies any role in the killing.
Jan. 31 – Scotland Yard says it has sent a file on the case to prosecutors.
May 22 – British prosecutors request the extradition of Lugovoi so he can be charged with Litvinenko's murder.
Source: AP, guardian.co.uk
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