Russia's chief prosecutor said on Tuesday that Moscow would not
extradite to Britain possible suspects in the poisoning death of
former agent Alexander Litvinenko, but would help British police
investigate the case.
"If they want to arrest them it would be impossible, they are
citizens of Russia and the Russian constitution makes that
impossible," Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika told reporters after a
meeting between Russian prosecutors and a group of British police
probing Litvinenko's death.
The Scotland Yard officers arrived in Moscow on Monday to speak
to several people who met Litvinenko around the time of his alleged
poisoning in early November.
Litvinenko died of radioactive poisoning late last month in
London. Experts investigating his death have found radiation traces
at a dozen locations and on two British Airways planes that flew
the Moscow-London route.
Italian security expert Mario Scaramella, who met Litvinenko the
day he fell ill, has tested positive for traces of the same
radioactive isotope believed to have killed Litvinenko.
Chaika said Russian prosecutors would question Litvinenko's
business associate Andrei Lugovoi as part of the investigation.
Lugovoi also met Litvinenko the day he fell ill in London.
"He is ill and currently in hospital. If doctors allow, then he
will certainly be questioned," the Interfax news agency quoted
Chaika as saying.
"We will do our utmost to help our British colleagues," Chaika
said.
Litvinenko, who was a strong critic of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, accused the Kremlin of orchestrating his poisoning
just before his death. Moscow vehemently denies the charge.
The former agent, who had been arrested several times, fled to
Britain with his wife and son in November 2000 and was granted
asylum. He became a British citizen last month.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Monday that
politicization of the case could damage relations between Russia
and Britain.
"The sole concern we are talking about today is the need to
avoid politicizing that issue," Lavrov was quoted by the
Itar-Tassnews agency as saying on a trip to Brussels.
He warned against officials' involvement in fueling the row over
Litvinenko's death. "This certainly harms our relations," he
said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2006 )
