The Litvinenko Inquiry

Part 3 | Chapters 1 to 5 | Alexander Litvinenko
set of charges: “immediately people came to this courtroom and they said they are
from the FSB and they have another order against my husband, and they need to
arrest him.” 57
3.71 Marina Litvinenko’s evidence was that the new charges against Mr Litvinenko
concerned allegations of mishandling suspects and stealing goods during an operation
at a Moscow market in which he had been involved several years previously. The
investigator was again Mr Barsukov. Mr Litvinenko was again detained, but in a
different prison. He was released on bail in mid December 1999. 58
3.72 The evidence before me was that these new proceedings collapsed before trial when
Mr Litvinenko produced evidence that he had not been at the market on the day in
question. A third set of proceedings was then brought against Mr Litvinenko, again at
the instigation of Mr Barsukov. The charge on this occasion was that Mr Litvinenko
had planted evidence on a suspect. Mr Litvinenko was not arrested but his passport
was confiscated and he was told not to leave Moscow without permission. 59
3.73 There is evidence that on this occasion as previously an associate of Mr Litvinenko
was put under pressure to give false evidence against him. 60 I have also seen evidence
that Mr Litvinenko’s father, Walter, was complaining of being harassed by the Russian
authorities at this time. 61
3.74 This third set of proceedings was still in train when Mr Litvinenko left Russia in October
2000. Mr Litvinenko was ultimately convicted on those charges in 2002. 62
57
Marina Litvinenko 3/87 lines 16-18
58
INQ017734 (page 12 paragraphs 40-41)
59
INQ017734 (page 12 paragraphs 42-43)
60
Marina Litvinenko 4/102-105; HMG000122
61
Marina Litvinenko 4/105-110; BER002750; HMG000120
62
Marina Litvinenko 3/94 lines 9-18
25