Russian government involved in assassinating former spy Litvinenko, verdict of European court

London/Moscow: – The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Russian government was behind the assassination of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Russian government to pay 122,000 euros to Litvinenko’s wife in damages. Russia has dismissed the decision of the European court, with Russian spokesmen saying the European Court has no jurisdiction in the matter. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has filed a charge sheet against a third Russian official an assassination attempt on a former Russian spy and his daughter in 2018. In 24 hours, the successive events point to rising tensions between the United Kingdom and Russia.

In 2006, former spy Alexander Litvinenko was exposed to the radioactive element polonium-210 in the British capital, London. The matter came to light after a few days of his meeting with two Russian nationals. Alexander Litvinenko died after three weeks. An investigation by the United Kingdom revealed that Russia was behind the attack. It has now been endorsed by the verdict passed by the European Court. Litvinenko’s wife, Marina, expressed satisfaction over the court’s decision and said that the message that the European Union was not weak had been to Russia.

Litvinenko had accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of planning the assassination in a statement he issued before his death. The British investigation also recorded that Putin might have given the orders for the assassination. Russia has dismissed the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating. Russia has also rejected the verdict by the European Court. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that no concrete evidence was available to the European Court of Justice.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has filed a charge sheet against a third Russian national connected with the 2018 chemical attack on former Russian official Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The name of the alleged Russian official is Denis Sergeev. ‘Novichok’ was the chemical element used by Russian intelligence agencies for the attack. However, the British agencies succeeded in saving Skripal and his daughter. Tensions between the two countries were at an all-time high after the attack. The United Kingdom had even recalled its diplomatic officials from Russia.