Ex-KGB Agent Accused in Litvinenko Death

Ex-KGB Agent Accused in Litvinenko Death

May 22 08:45 AM US/Eastern
By TARIQ PANJA
Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) - Prosecutors accused a former KGB agent Tuesday of murder in the radioactive poisoning of fellow ex-operative Alexander Litvinenko and sought his extradition from Russia. The case is sure to challenge already-tense relations between London and Moscow.

Andrei Lugovoi had met with Litvinenko at a London hotel hours before the former agent turned Kremlin critic fell ill with polonium-210 poisoning. Lugovoi has repeatedly denied any involvement in interviews with the police and media.

A top deputy to Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett summoned the Russian ambassador to seek Moscow's cooperation in the case, but the Russian prosecutor-general's office said it will not turn over Lugovoi to British authorities.

"In accordance with Russian law, citizens of Russia cannot be turned over to foreign states," spokeswoman Marina Gridneva said in remarks broadcast on the NTV television channel. "A citizen of Russia, committing a crime on the territory of a foreign state, can, upon presentation of material by this state, can be brought to criminal responsibility, but only in Russia."

The politically charged case has driven relations between London and Moscow to post-Cold War lows. Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said Britain had an extradition agreement with Moscow.

"Murder is murder; this is a very serious case," Blair's spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. "The manner of the murder was also very serious because of the risks to public health."

Litvinenko, 43, died Nov. 23 after ingesting the rare radioactive isotope. On his deathbed, he accused President Vladimir Putin of being behind his killing. The Russian government denies involvement.

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