Litvinenko Interview

The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper has published an article claiming that before the recent attempt to poison him ex-FSB colonel Alexander Litvinenko visited Moscow where he was secretly interrogated by Russian intelligence officials. The article appears to be another step in the attempts by Putin's government to link Litvinenko with Anna Politkovskaya's murder. Now Chechenpress has released an interview with Litvinenko, in which he makes clear that no such Moscow visit took place. Norbert Strade of chechnya-sl has translated the interview:

CP: Aleksandr, the Russian media assert that not long before your poisoning, you were in Moscow in order to give evidence in the case of the murder of Politkovskaya. Is that true?

AL: That's a lie. I haven't been in Moscow, or in Russia in general,since I left that country in 2000.

CP: Could it be that you gave some evidence in the Politkovskaya case to Russian investigators here in London?

AL: Since my departure from Russia, I haven't kept any contacts with Russian investigators, not on a single question.

CP: There were also reports in the Russian media that the English police doesn't investigate the attempt on your life. What do you say about this?

AL: This assertion is of the same kind as the first one, which means a plain lie. In spite of my grave condition, I gave evidence several times to the inspectors from the British police who investigate this case. They have no doubts about the criminal nature of this act against me.

CP: Can you at least briefly describe the content of the documentsgiven to you by Mario Scaramella?

AL: I can only repeat what I have said earlier: Judging by thesedocuments, the tracks of the murder of Politkovskaya are leading to the Russian FSB. These documents are now evidence material and I can't reveal any more of their content.

CP: Do you suspect that it was exactly Mario Scaramella who poisoned you?

AL: I prefer not to speak about my suspicions for the time being. I'm sure that the investigation will do all that is possible to find thepoisoners.

CP: I have a final question: What do your doctors say, what diagnosis did they make?

AL: The doctors conducted many analyses, but they weren't able, until now, to establish which exact substance I was poisoned with. Today they moved me to the oncologic department for further analysis; there they have more advanced diagnostic equipment; they are going to make an analysis of a probe from the spinal cord. Then, maybe, the picture will become clear.

CP: Aleksandr, on behalf of the readers of Chechenpress, we would like to wish you a quick recovery!

AL. Thanks a lot! I feel your support; it greatly helps me.

(via chechnya-sl)