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Litvinenko UK inquest in doubt after Russia evidence ruling

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 14:30
The inquest into the death of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in Britain was close to being scrapped after the coroner ruled Friday he could not hear evidence about the alleged role of the Russian state in his poisoning. Coroner Robert Owen said in a pre-hearing ruling that in disregarding the evidence for national security reasons, he would be failing in his duty "to undertake a full, fair and fearless inquiry into the circumstances of Mr Litvinenko's death".

British coroner to examine Litvinenko files in secret

February 27, 2013 11:17
The British judge investigating the death of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko said Wednesday he would examine government evidence in secret to decide if it should be made public. Foreign Secretary William Hague has argued that the disclosure of certain files at the forthcoming inquest would be damaging to national security. But lawyers for Litvinenko's family, who claim he worked for British spy agency MI6, want the evidence to be made public as they believe it would point to Russia's involvement in his death by radioactive poisoning in London in 2006.

Britain seeks to withhold info from Litvinenko inquest

February 26, 2013 11:31
Britain is seeking to withhold information about Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko at the forthcoming inquest into his death to avoid damage to trade deals with Moscow, a court was told on Tuesday. A pre-inquest hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice heard that Foreign Secretary William Hague had signed a public interest immunity (PII) certificate to prevent evidence relating to the case being placed in the public domain. This was because disclosure risked "serious harm to the public interest", Hague wrote in the document which has been made public.

Britain seeks to hide information in Litvinenko inquest

February 26, 2013 09:45
The British government made a court bid on Tuesday to keep sensitive information about murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko secret at the forthcoming inquest into his death. The application for public interest immunity, thought to be on the grounds of national security, is opposed by media organisations including the BBC and the Guardian newspaper as well as by lawyers for Litvinenko's widow Marina.
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