As of: 09/21/2021 1:22 p.m.
Russia is responsible for the murder of the opposition leader Litvinenko in 2006 – this is the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights. Moscow is now to pay the widow 100,000 euros in compensation.
The European Court of Human Rights holds Russia responsible for the 2006 murder of ex-agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. The two men who poisoned Litvinenko with the radioactive polonium 210 were apparently acting on behalf of or under the control of the Russian authorities, the Strasbourg court announced.
State involvement is the “only plausible explanation” for the murder, the judges said. Since Russia refuses to share internal investigative documents that could show the opposite, the assassination of Litvinenko is attributed to Russia.
Revelations about Russia
Litvinenko had worked for the Russian secret services until the end of the 1990s. Litvinenko and his family fled to the UK after he made public that he was investigating an attempt to kill a Russian businessman. He was a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2006 he was poisoned there by two Russians – and died a little later in the hospital.
A 2016 investigation by British security agencies found that Putin likely authorized an intelligence operation to kill Litvinenko. Moscow has always refused to be involved in the case in the past.
Widow should receive 100,000 euros
The court now found that the two men who administered the poison to Litvinenko had no personal reason to kill him. In addition, they would not have come across the rare radiation poison on their own mission. Also because Russia did not provide the British courts with the necessary documents for the investigation, it violated the right to life enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, as the court ruled. Litvinenko’s widow, who had gone to court in Strasbourg, is said to have received 100,000 euros in compensation from Russia.
Russia rejected the decision. The results of the investigation are not yet available. Therefore, the statements of the court are unfounded, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov. “The European Court of Human Rights is unlikely to have the powers and technological capabilities to obtain information on this matter.”
Russia is also a member of the Council of Europe
The European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, France, is part of the Council of Europe. Bodies – which are independent of the European Union – work together to protect human rights in the 47 member states, including Russia. The judgments of the Court of Justice are binding.
The Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (Council of Europe) is not a body of the EU. It has 47 member states, including the 28 members of the European Union. Turkey, Russia, Albania, Macedonia, Georgia and Azerbaijan are also members.
The seat of the Council of Europe is in Strasbourg. It was founded in 1949 and serves as a forum for debates on human rights issues. The Council of Europe is supposed to promote democratic development in the member countries. The resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly are not binding, but the institution is regarded as an important measure of sentiment for political situations.
The main body of the body is the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The ECHR should not be confused with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which is the highest judicial body in the EU.
Parallels to the attack in Salisbury
The case points to parallels with the recent attack on former Russian agent Viktor Skripal. He, too, was poisoned with a rare weapon in England. It is the neurotoxin Novichok, which was developed in the Soviet Union. Great Britain blames Moscow here too. The case had led to enormous international anger and sanctions against Russia.