Russians refuse to hand over Litvinenko suspect

Russian authorities have formally refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoy to face trial over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

The Russian government said it is not willing to send the businessman to the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, was poisoned with the radioactive isotope polonium 210, sparking a Europe-wide public health alert.

Prosecutors rejected an offer by the Russian authorities to put Lugovoy on trial in his native country.

Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions, said: “The Russian response has now been conveyed to us and the Russian authorities have declined to extradite Andrey Lugovoy.

“They have said that they are prepared to put Mr Lugovoy on trial in Russia if the evidence is forwarded to them.

“The allegation against Mr Lugovoy is that he murdered a British citizen by deliberate poisoning and that he committed this extraordinarily grave crime here in our capital city.

“The appropriate venue for his trial is therefore London.”