Russian exiles 'may be nervous'

Other Russian exiles in London may be feeling nervous after the apparent poisoning of former security agent Alexander Litvinenko, an expert on Russian affairs said.

The tactic had long been used at home, said James Nixey, who studies Russia for the Chatham House international affairs research institute in England.

He said: “We may look at it as a trend and a tactic, but should also remember that it goes back to Tsarist times, when there were food checkers used – and Rasputin was poisoned.”

Many people believe that the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead last month, was the subject of a poisoning attempt on her way to the school siege in Beslan in 2004.

“There are certain other Russians in London who might feel uncomfortable after this. There are some who perhaps should be worried - there is enough precedent to worry them.”

Mr Nixey said if the regime was to blame for the attempt on Mr Litvinenko, it probably had not come from the top.

“If it was done by the regime, it’s unlikely that someone at the top would give direct orders – it’s more likely to be someone lower down.

“There are nationalist and protectionist elements in Russia who might do it and think people higher up would approve, but this is just speculation.

“The Kremlin has become more intolerant of dissent, it doesn’t like it from anybody, westerners or Russians.”

Relations between Britain and Russia had deteriorated, he said, despite Britain being “weak” in its protests over lack of democracy in Russia.

“It seems to be the case, since 2004, and certainly since the post September 11 co-operation, that relations have deteriorated quite substantially with the UK, there’s a lot more tension.

“The regime has been backsliding on democracy, and Britain has been very weak in picking them up for their deficiencies in democratic values.

“The chances of whoever did this being caught are very low. There is some co-operation between UK police forces and Russian security organisations, at least on a nominal level, but there is no precedent for something like this being solved – remember the killer of Georgi Markov was never caught.”