Russia: Litvinenko-case – investigation results are “not surprising”

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the investigation results on the poisoning of the former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko, which were presented by the British judge Robert Owen, are “not at all surprising”. As Owen publicly announced in London on Thursday, the murder had “probably” been approved by the Russian President Vladimir. Sarah Reinke, the STP’s expert on questions concerning the CIS-states, commented:

“It is shocking that, following the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, it took the EU ten years to realize how the Russian regime works, and to react accordingly. A whole series of crimes against humanity occurred before the EU leaders managed to agree on adequate sanctions against Russia. Under Putin’s regime, about 80,000 people lost their lives in the Chechen war, which was triggered by bomb attacks on apartment buildings in Russia – at least, that was how it was officially justified. According to research by Litvinenko, the attacks were initiated by the Russian secret service (FSB). This was followed by assassinations of journalists, politicians and human rights activists – also planned by the FSB, which managed to gain control over even the most remote areas of Russia by instrumentalizing organized crime.

They did not respond until Crimea was annexed in an internationally wrongful act and thousands of people lost their lives in the Donbass, missing any chances to support the democratic, liberal opposition in Russia. Meanwhile, its protagonists have been killed, arrested, or managed to escape abroad. There are only a few left who risk their lives trying to withstand the state’s machinations. They are denounced as a “fifth column”, as “jackals”, “enemies of the people” or “traitors” – also because Europe betrayed them. Litvinenko was one of those who hoped he could get the attention of the European politicians: In 2006, it was already quite clear which way Russia was going to develop under Putin.

Header Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg via Flickr