Putin: Litvinenko demand foolish
Monday, 04 Jun 2007 08:21
Vladimir Putin is refusing to extradite Andrei Lugovoi
Russian president Vladimir Putin has branded a British request for his country to extradite the man wanted over the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko as "pure foolishness".
Speaking to journalists ahead of this week's G8 summit in Germany, Mr Putin repeated Moscow's assertion that extraditing Andrei Lugovoi would violate Russia's constitution and said the competence of UK prosecutors should be questioned if they were not aware of the situation.
Britain formally requested the extradition of Mr Lugovoi last month after the crown prosecution service (CPS) announced that it had enough evidence to charge him over the death of Mr Litvinenko, who died on November 23rd in London after being poisoned by the radioactive isotope polonium-210.
However Mr Putin insisted that the UK had failed to supply sufficient evidence to warrant sending the former Russian spy, who denies the charge, to Britain for trial.
Instead the Russian leader argued that prosecutors should provide his country with evidence so that Mr Lugovoi could face charges there.
"Rather than simply demand Lugovoi's extradition, they should send enough in evidence for the case to be taken to court," Mr Putin told reporters.
"We'll do it in Russia, and any person found guilty of causing Litvinenko's death will be convicted," he added, in comments reported by the BBC.
Mr Putin's remarks follow claims by Mr Lugovoi that he has been made a scapegoat over the murder of Mr Litvinenko, who he alleges had been working for the British secret service.
At a press conference in Moscow last week the 43-year-old indicated that Mr Litvinenko had unsuccessfully tried to recruit him as a British spy and that UK security agents had asked him to collect compromising information about Mr Putin.
The claims were dismissed on Friday by Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina, who told the Associated Press that Mr Lugovoi would do "everything to defend himself".