The Litvinenko Inquiry

Chapter 3: In the United Kingdom
Part 3 | Chapters 1 to 5 | Alexander Litvinenko
3.94 The Litvinenko family lived in the UK for six years before Mr Litvinenko’s death on
23 November 2006. I heard a great deal of evidence about Mr Litvinenko’s work and
campaigning activities during this period, together with other aspects of his life that
may have been connected to his death. I will address these matters in detail in due
course. In this chapter I propose to give a brief outline of the evidence that I have
heard about the family’s life during those six years.
Immigration status
3.95 As I have indicated, Mr Litvinenko claimed asylum on behalf of himself and his family
when they first arrived in the UK. Marina Litvinenko’s evidence was that Mr Litvinenko
was interviewed for a lengthy period by immigration officers at Heathrow on the
day of their arrival. Thereafter he worked with George Menzies, the solicitor whom
Mr Goldfarb had contacted whilst they were on their way to the UK, to prepare his
claim. The Home Office granted the family’s asylum claim in May 2001. 79
3.96 Marina Litvinenko gave evidence that when they were granted asylum, the family
took up the option of changing their names. She took the name of Marie Anne Carter,
Mr Litvinenko the name of Edwin Redwald Carter and Anatoly that of Anthony Carter. 80
3.97 In 2002 the family were issued with travel documents (in their new names), which
enabled them to travel away from the UK. Marina Litvinenko said that the first holiday
they took, in the summer of 2002, was back to the hotel in Spain where she and
Anatoly had stayed in 2000, and where they had taken the decision to leave Russia
permanently. 81
3.98 In 2006 the family became eligible for naturalisation as British citizens. They made
an application and were granted citizenship at a ceremony at Haringey civic centre
on 13 October 2006. One thing that is clear on the evidence that I have heard is that
Mr Litvinenko was delighted to have become a British citizen. Marina Litvinenko said
that he flew an English flag from their balcony during the World Cup in the summer of
2006 – he was, she said, “very proud to be British, … and he was very proud for his
son to be British and having his future in England”. 82 There was, of course, a darker
side to this moment. As we shall see, one of the reasons that Mr Litvinenko was so
pleased to be granted British citizenship was that it made him feel safer. Ironically, the
ceremony took place only a few weeks before he was fatally poisoned.
Accommodation
3.99 I have already referred to the evidence that Mr Berezovsky funded the Litvinenko
family’s escape from Russia. Marina Litvinenko stated that, while she had been in
Spain and trying to decide whether or not the family should leave everything behind
them in Russia, she had spoken to Mr Berezovsky, who had promised that he would
support them. 83 On the evidence that I have heard, this was a promise that, at least in
broad terms, Mr Berezovsky fulfilled.
79
Marina Litvinenko 3/108-110
80
Marina Litvinenko 3/110-111
81
Marina Litvinenko 3/111-112
82
Marina Litvinenko 3/112-113
83
Marina Litvinenko 3/114
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