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19 Jul 2013

Diplomacy influenced Litvinenko decision – May

The government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into the death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was partly influenced by international relations, admits Home Secretary Theresa May.

Alexander Litvinenko (Getty)

Mr Litvinenko, 43, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 while drinking tea at the Millennium Hotel in London’s Grosvenor Square in 2006.

His family believes he was murdered by the Kremlin because he was working for MI6 at the time.

Coroner Sir Robert Owen had requested that the government order an inquiry because he could not consider vital secret evidence as part of a normal inquest.

The government refused, to the disappointment of Mr Litvinenko’s widow Marina, who told Channel 4 News she would continue her quest for “the truth”.

It is true that international relations have been a factor in the government’s decision-making. Theresa May, Home Secretary

On Friday a letter from Home Secretary Theresa May to Sir Robert explaining the reasons for the decision was published.

It said: “It is true that international relations have been a factor in the government’s decision-making.

“An inquest managed and run by an independent coroner is more readily explainable to some of our foreign partners, and the integrity of the process more readily grasped, than an inquiry, established by the government, under a chairman appointed by the government, which has the power to see government material potentially relevant to their interests, in secret.

“However this has not been a decisive factor and it if had stood alone would not have led the government to refuse an inquiry.”

Death must be ‘properly investigated’

Ms May said that the government is anxious that Litvinenko’s death is properly investigated, and accepts that there are “important factors” in favour of establishing an inquiry.

She wrote: “May I begin by assuring you that the government shares your concern to make certain that the tragic death of Mr Litvinenko is properly investigated.

“Like you, the government is anxious that as much as possible of the investigation is conducted in public, and in such a way that Mr Litvinenko’s family are as closely involved in the process as is consistent with the public interest.”