British ministers want foreigners banned from the UK to be known in public following Alexander Litvinenko's murder inquiry. Litvinenko's brother claimed that Britain killed the ex-Russian spy.
UK ministers push for public transparency of list of foreigners banned from Britain after the ruling of Alexander Litvinenko's murder. The Guardian reported that Eric Pickles, British government's anti-corruption champion, wants to name foreign citizens issued with a visa ban. It will give protection to Russian political dissenters who live in Britain.
Theresa May, UK home secretary, received backlash from failing to issue heavier sanctions on Russian president Vladimir Putin's administration. May only enforced an asset freeze on Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, suspects in killing Litvinenko. Yet, the two do not have assets in Britain. In response to criticisms, Prime Minister David Cameron said that they are limiting actions with Russia to maintain relations needed to succeed in Syrian operations.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesperson, told Channel One that the Litvinenko ruling aimed to increase anti-Russian frenzy. He added that diplomatic ties between Russia and Britain are at risk.
Dominic Raab, a British justice minister, supported the visa ban list transparency. "To ensure that message hits home consistently and publicly, we need transparency over such visa bans."
Following the murder inquiry, the brother of Litvinenko said that it was Britain that killed the former FSB agent, reported Asia Times. Maksim Litvinenko said that the report blaming the Kremlin for the murder was "ridiculous" since the British government had more reason to commit the crime. He said that the murder inquiry only intends to put pressure on Putin's administration.
Lugovoi, a Kremlin bodyguard suspected of murdering Litvinenko, connected the ex-Russian agent's death to the MI6. "Litvinenko died in November 2006. In March-April, I was openly offered cooperation [by MI6] and in order to motivate me somehow, I was denied a visa." Lugovoi said that he was soon issued a visa after calling Litvinenko.
According to Lawyer Herald, the Litvinenko murder inquiry could point to Putin as the one who ordered the assassination. Since Litvinenko was notorious for being Putin's critic, it was assumed that he was killed under orders from the Russian president.
Litvinenko died in November 2006 in his hospital bed. He was poisoned with tea laced with radioactive polonium at the Millennium Hotel in London.
