UK & Russia clash over extraditions

[gcartwright]

In March 2006, an extraordinary meeting took place at the Victory Services Club in central London. I had received some interesting information from an acquaintance, Vladimir Bukovsky, a prominent Russian dissident, concerning allegations that a senior European politician was a former KGB "asset". Together with Gerard Batten, a Member of the European Parliament, we were introduced by Bukovsky to Oleg Gordievsky, formerly deputy Head of KGB in London. A great deal of information came our way during the course of the meeting, but for quite some time we seemed to be skirting around the real reason for our being there. Eventually we got there, and the name I had previously been given finally came into the conversation. Our motives were questioned briefly before our two Russian friends made a call on a mobile phone. After some discussion, the phone was handed to Batten, with the words "This young man will give you Romano Prodi... His name is Alexander Litvinenko".

The following month Batten denounced the former President of the European Commission - and at that time candidate for the office of Prime Minister of Italy - to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Amongst the most serious of claims was that Prodi had in some way colluded in the protection of KGB agents allegedly involved in the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981. This claim was supported by the Italian Parliamentary Commission, headed by Paolo Guzzanti, who concluded that the KGB and GRU (Soviet military intelligence) were involved in the assassination attempt. The Pope's personal secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz also alleged in his book A Life with Karol, that the pope was convinced privately that the Soviets were behind the assassination attempt, writing that, "all roads lead back to the Soviet KGB".
Calling for an enquiry into Prodi's alleged links, Batten stated that, "Former, senior members of the KGB are willing to testify in such an investigation, under the right conditions... It is not acceptable that this situation is unresolved, given the importance of Russia's relations with the European Union."

No enquiry was ever held.

In November 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was admitted to hospital with suspected poisoning. Twelve days later he was dead, having been poisoned with Polonium. The man wanted by British police in connection with the murder, Andrei Lugovoi, is a former KGB officer who now sits as a member of the Russian Parliament. Repeated attempts to extradite him have failed.

Russia now seeks the extradition of Yevgeny Chichvarkin, who made a fortune in the mobile phone business, for extortion, and the alleged abduction of a former employee who he claimed had stolen from him. Interestingly, the government also appears to want to speak to him about his tax affairs. The Oligarch Mikhail Khordokovsky, a supporter of Putin until he fell out with him and funded opposition candidates, was also arrested on taxation charges. Khorordovsky's case is highly contentious, with additional charges being made, preventing any chance of release. He is believed to have served at least part of his sentence in a forced Labour camp in the far northern Yamal Peninsula, near the Arctic Circle. The Russian Gulag still exists to this day.

A warrant has been issued against Chichvarkin, but at the time of writing it has not been executed.

A number of Russians have been the subject of extradition requests in recent years, but where it is felt that they will not receive a fair trial, those requests are refused.

British requests for the extradition of Lugovoi are refused bluntly, with the explanaition that he has parliamentary immunity, and in any case, Russia does not extradite its citizens abroad.

Until Lugovoi is brought before a British court, it would be most unwise for HMG to agree to any extradition requests from Russia.


Extradite Lugovoi, then lets talk about Chichvarkin. | cartwright.eu.com