Ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London (Picture: PA)

The widow of poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has slammed a coroner for ‘abandoning his search for the truth about Russian state responsibility for her husband’s death’.

Marina Litvinenko’s criticised Sir Robert Owen for ruling that he could not hear evidence linked to the alleged involvement of the Russian government in public.

It followed an application by the UK Foreign Office to keep certain information classified, and means the inquest could be scrapped and replaced with a public inquiry to allow evidence to be heard in secret.

Mrs Litvinenko’s solicitors said they now need a full public inquiry as a matter of urgency as this is ‘the only way now that the truth can be exposed’, despite certain evidence remaining secret.




A statement said: ‘This is a very sad day for Mrs Litvinenko, a tragedy for British justice which has until now been respected around the world, and it is a frightening precedent for all of those, around the world, who have been trying so hard to expose the crimes committed by conspiracy of organised criminals that operate from the Kremlin.

‘Mrs Litvinenko is utterly dismayed by the coroner’s decision to abandon his search for the truth about Russian state responsibility for her husband’s death.’

The statement said the result was ‘to protect those responsible for ordering the murder of a British citizen on the streets of London, and to allow the Russian government to shield behind a claim for secrecy made by William Hague with the backing of the Prime Minister David Cameron’.

‘All those concerned with exposing the truth will be shocked and saddened that a political deal has been done between the two governments to prevent the truth from ever seeing the light of day,’ it read.

Marina Litvinenko has slammed the coroner for ‘abandoning the search for truth’ (Picture: Reuters)

Mr Litvinenko’s tea was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 at the Millennium Hotel in London in 2006.

His family believes he was working for MI6 at the time and was killed on the orders of the Kremlin.

Litvinenko family friend Alex Goldfarb said the coroner’s decision was ‘deeply dismaying’, and ‘upsetting’ that in his view British government had prioritised its political relationship with Russia.

In his ruling, Sir Robert said the issues of preventability and Russian involvement are of ‘central importance’ to the investigation.

He said his duty to carry out a ‘full, fair and fearless investigation’ would be stifled otherwise, and that leaving out important evidence on Russian involvement would cause him ‘grave concern’.