Thaindian News

London, Sep 13 (IANS) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev lost his temper at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, where he said Moscow will never extradite a man accused of killing a former Russian spy in London.

Former KGB agent, 44-year-old Andrey Lugovoy is Scotland Yard’s prime suspect in the murder of rebel Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died from radiation poisoning in London in 2006.

Cameron, standing next to Medvedev, Monday asked Russia to stop blocking the return of Lugovoy to Britain to stand trial, The Sun reported.

“Governments should help with that and not stand in the way,” the British prime minister said.

Medvedev immediately shot back: “The Russian constitution directly says a Russian citizen cannot be extradited for legal proceedings. That will never happen, no matter who raises this issue.”

Lugovoy, now a Russian MP, said he was “extremely satisfied”.

Litvinenko, a former spy of Russia’s federal security service, FSB and KGB, escaped prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in Britain. He wrote two books, where he accused the secret services of staging bombings to bring Vladimir Putin to power.

In November 2006, Litvinenko became the first confirmed victim of lethal polonium-210-induced acute radiation syndrome, according to media reports.

Later, Britain accused Putin’s secret agents of murdering Litvinenko. Scotland Yard believes Lugovoy was involved.