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    Widow's Appeal To Expose Litvinenko Killers

    The widow of Alexander Litvinenko has appealed on Sky News for donations to help expose her husband's murderers.

    Marina Litvinenko said she has to know the truth about the Russian dissident 's death in London from Polonium poisoning five years ago.

    Mrs Litvinenko said she needs help because her legal costs for the upcoming inquest are likely to run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

    She told Sky News: "I have been approached by many people asking, 'Marina, how can we help you?' I appreciated it but said, 'I am okay,' I have the investigation here, my family and friends.

    "Now, maybe, it is time to help me - even small donations will be very important."

    Mr Litvinenko, 43, died of radioactive Polonium 210 poisoning in London's University College Hospital on November 23, 2006.

    He had fallen ill shortly after drinking tea during a meeting with former KGB contacts at a West End hotel.

    St Pancras coroner Dr Andrew Reid has indicated the inquest should be wide-ranging and is asking police and intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 to carry out further inquiries.

    Andrei Lugovoi , a former KGB agent, is wanted in London for the murder but Russia has dismissed calls for his extradition and instead gave him a seat in the Duma, its lower parliament.

    Mrs Litvinenko said: "I appreciate everything that was done in the last five years but unfortunately nothing will change because every time Russia will refuse to extradite Lugovoi.

    "I know I will be supported by the British government and they will ask to extradite Lugovoi but, until Lugovoi is present in a court in London, we will not know the truth."

    She added: "It was an act of nuclear terrorism in London. That is why I strongly believe we have to know the truth."

    Mrs Litvinenko said she had feared for her husband during his life but accepted he was passionately committed to speaking out.

    "I loved Sasha how he was. He was an excellent man and honest person and what he did, he believed. I appreciated it and supported him (but) I knew it was very dangerous for him," she said.

    Mr Litvinenko's death caused the biggest fallout from Britain and Russia since the Cold War.

    On his deathbed, the dissident had accused then-president Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder - a claim the Kremlin denied.

    Mr Lugovoi told Sky News last month that it looked "idiotic" that every British politician's first question when in Russia was about him.

     

    15 comments

    • P  •  7 months ago
      ask a russian billionair for the cash there are loads living in london
    • sanchopanches  •  7 months ago
      She is knocking to a wrong door. The normal British arrogance, the envy and betrayal- domestic "business as usual". Here not acceptable elementary human feelings and rights (they are too low and can not prevail squabble degraded natures)
    • Juno  •  7 months ago
      Just back from Cyprus the place was full of Russians as was the Marina, full of Yachts with Russian flags on them, they were all pasty, miserable, morose, bad mannered and rich up to their eyeballs, so where did all this dosh come from. I just wish I could be the same!
      • Stephen 7 months ago
        THE SAME AS WHAT PASTY AND MISERABLE OR RICH
        I LIVE IN MARBELLA FULL OF RUSSIANS AND RUMANIANS
      • V 7 months ago
        Erm, not all Russians are "pasty, miserable, morose, bad mannered and rich up to their eyeballs", you just met some unpleasant people who do not represent the Russians. It' a bit like saying that all Englishmen are exactly like Ian Huntley.
        Won't give any money though towards the appeal of Mrs Litvinenko; I believe it's rather wrong of her to make such demands.
      • russ 7 months ago
        There are NO russian mafia left in russia...the ones who haven't emigrated have gone into the GOVERNMENT...
    • Judie  •  7 months ago
      Lugovoi did it,but Putin ordered it.Putin should be poisoned.
      • Matt 7 months ago
        What do you think the Russian's would do about that?
    • Juno  •  7 months ago
      If anyone believed that Putin stood down as President of Russia so that Medvedev could do the job they are daft, Putin as Prime Minister!!!! told Medvedev what to do, so now he is TRYING to be President again...He never left, Medvedev just did as he was told
    • Matt  •  7 months ago
      It is against the Russian Constitution to extradite a Russian citizen, no matter what the crime is. He could have killed 100,000 people and they would not extradite him because it would be totally illegal under their laws for any government to attempt to do so. Lugovoi would simply take it to the supreme court and would always win. It's like trying to tell an American they cannot have a gun.

      She should accept what has happened and try to enjoy the rest of her life. Wasting other people's money will not bring her husband back. He knew the risks; he knew Russia's very public policy on dealing with enemies of the state but he continued anyway.
      • Kenny 7 months ago
        Matt, I agree with you. She should know better as a Russian
    • Phil  •  7 months ago
      fat chance! they supply us with gas
    • Heather Anne Franek  •  7 months ago
      If you really want to get somewhere, just down the street to St James Park to the gentlemen's clubs where, I guarantee you, you will find British men making back room deals with the Kremlin, the mafia, China, and just about every other sordid country or upper-class mafia/mob scene on the planet because Britain does not control its own foreign policy - the landed gentry cut backroom deals with the upper class mob of other countries. The situation occurred in Mayfair and involved an ITSU sushi - I personally still fear walking into an ITSU sushi because I still associate it with the murder of journalists. There is no way no one knows who committed this murder. My belief is that the British mafia is not angry about the murder, they are angry that they were not asked for PERMISSION in advance to assassinate a man. Normally this would have been cut in a backroom deal. Someone in Mayfair or St. James' Park knows who committed this murder but they will never give up the dirt because that would end the British government's own foreign policy relationship with the Russian government/mob.
    • A  •  7 months ago
      as far as they kill each other I don't care
    • Kenny  •  7 months ago
      This woman want to waste tax payers money. She is a Russian , as she know by their law. There is no way Russian will send the accuse to London. She said her husband is a honest man.Honest indeed. there is no honest person in KGB. He has been a devil himself but was counter attack by a bigger. Never trust the devil.
    • Kenny  •  7 months ago
      There are all Russians, let them sort themselves out. Who knows, maybe this woman will want the UK to go to a third world war with Russia. Wonder how many lives her husband cut short during his time.
    • russ  •  7 months ago
      She is wasting her time....the judges...the courts...the police...MI5...MI6...and this useless government...NO ONE will do ANYTHING about this russian government sponsered execution...and they rewarded the executioner with a cushy job as an MP...moral of this story?...don't have a tea party with the KGB...
    • Gary Jefferson  •  7 months ago
      if he has nothing to hide then why not come here and prove it, simple then he has nothing to reproach himself about. Only those who have something to hide stay away, and one day he will face up to what he did before God. and that is one thing we all have to face.
      • Kenny 7 months ago
        Russia Law doesn't permit it. The Russians already agreed to try him in a Russian court. If this woman too have nothing to hide, she should go to Russia. Is she not a Russian? Those who live by the sword die by the sword. Remember the dead use to be a KGB
    • A Yahoo! User  •  7 months ago
      Sorry what will if do for you nothing at all... or better still go back to Russia .. you know what happened and there nothing you can do if you got millions it will not bring him back ..most like then you will run off back to Russia with millions in your bank account...
    • Vladimir  •  7 months ago
      He was not a dissident, he was a traitor and he got what he had deserved.
      • russ 7 months ago
        vlad...why don't you go home to mother russia???