Russia:The former KGB spy accused of murdering Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko said yesterday he intended to embark on a new career as a politician and would stand for parliament in the Russian election in December.
Andrei Lugovoi said he would run as a candidate for the Kremlin-supporting ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic party.
The party confirmed it had placed him second on its party list - a move that virtually guarantees him a seat. As a member of Russia's Duma (lower house), he would automatically enjoy immunity from prosecution. In reality this makes no difference, since the Kremlin has refused Britain's request to extradite him.
Britain now faces the prospect of watching Mr Lugovoi present himself in parliament as a heroic Russian patriot doing battle against British spies.
His decision to enter politics could hardly have been made without Kremlin approval. It comes after Vladimir Putin dismissed Britain's attempts to prosecute Mr Lugovoi as "stupidity" and "colonial thinking".
Yesterday the Liberal Democratic party's flamboyant leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, shrugged off Mr Lugovoi's alleged crimes. He described British charges against Mr Lugovoi as "an attempt to organise provocations against our citizens".
Mr Lugovoi is suspected of persuading Litvinenko to sip a cup of poisoned tea at a London hotel. Litvinenko ingested a large dose of radioactive polonium-210 and died three weeks later. In a deathbed statement he accused Mr Putin of organising his murder. This is denied by the Kremlin.
- (Guardian service)