Litvinenko Public Inquiry To Be Announced

The Government is to announce a public inquiry into the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

The ex-KGB officer was poisoned by a cup of tea laced with the deadly radioactive element polonium 210 during a meeting at a London hotel in 2006 with two former Russian agents. He died three weeks later.

His widow, Marina, has fought for a public inquiry into his death ever since but the Government refused on the grounds it wanted to wait for the outcome of an inquest into his death.

Andrei Lugovoi is now a Russian MP

However, the High Court ruled in February the Home Secretary should reconsider, and Sky News understands Theresa May will be making the announcement in a written statement later on Tuesday morning.

The Litvinenko affair has caused significant diplomatic ructions between Britain and Russia. Police have asked for the arrests of two prime suspects, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun, but the Kremlin has refused.

Marina Litvinenko has fought for a public inquiry

The announcement of an inquiry could not have come at a worse time for Britain's increasingly frayed relationship with Russia as tensions between the two countries intensify over Vladimir Putin's handling of the Ukraine air disaster.

However, the Government has been under pressure to make the announcement since the ruling in February and given the rapidly deteriorating relations with the Kremlin a low-key ministerial statement on the last day of Parliament was considered the best approach.

Mr Litvinenko fled Russia in 2000 and was granted asylum in Britain. His widow claims he was working for MI6 at the time of his death after meeting Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square.

Alexander Litvinenko in 1998

Last year Sir Robert Owen, who was conducting the inquest, said he could not hold a "fair and fearless" investigation into Mr Litvinenko's death because the Government refused to release information on Russian and British intelligence involvement.

He said a public inquiry would be the best way to proceed.

Mr Lugovoi, who is now a Russian MP, withdrew his cooperation with the inquest in 2013, accusing the British Government of a cover-up.

He has always denied murdering Mr Litvinenko, but has admitted meeting him shortly before his death, however, traces of radiation at key locations on his route from Moscow to London were found.

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