BRITAIN:British and Russian authorities last night clashed over demands for the extradition of businessman Andrei Lugovoy, who was formally accused of murdering the ex-KGB agent, Alexander Litvinenko, in London last year.
Russia's foreign ministry last night stood by comments from other Kremlin officials, demanding "more detailed information" on the Litvinenko case from Britain and ruling out any extradition while offering its "readiness" to co-operate.
Other senior figures echoed the ministry's insistence that no matter how much Britain pressed for the extradition of Mr Lugovoy, the country's constitution would forbid it. Earlier in the day, a spokesman for British prime minister Tony Blair led a series of calls in London demanding Mr Lugovoy's extradition to stand trial for murder.
The latest twist in the case will deepen the split between Russia and the West and add fresh tension to already-strained relations.
Mr Lugovoy avoided talking to the foreign media but did give an open air briefing to Russian journalists, where he looked relaxed.
"I did not kill Litvinenko. I had nothing to do with his death and can prove - with facts - my distrust of the so-called evidence collected by Britain's justice system." He claimed the charges were politically motivated.
Mr Lugovoy's demeanour did not tally with claims by associates of the exiled Russian oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, in London that he was a walking time-bomb and was in fear of his life.
Until now Mr Lugovoy has laughed off the rumours that he would face prosecution for a role in the radioactive poisoning of his former colleague in the KGB. Now, the Moscow-based businessmen will face arrest if he travels abroad, should an international arrest warrant be issued by Britain.
Mr Lugovoy had known Mr Litvinenko for decades, having trained with him in a KGB academy in the former Soviet Union.
Following the requests from London demanding Russia's co-operation, the prosecutor's office in Moscow quoted the country's constitution. Article 61 states: "The citizen of the Russian Federation may not be deported out of Russia or extradited to another state." In a conciliatory gesture, it offered to bring a case against Mr Lugovoy if it received sufficient evidence of his role from British authorities.
The British prosecutor's office had demanded Mr Lugovoy's extradition for the "extraordinarily grave crime" of murdering Mr Litvinenko with the radioactive substance, Polonium-210 last November.
The Kremlin has always denied any role in the death of Mr Litvinenko, although he was widely perceived as a traitor within the security services for speaking out against his former colleagues and for taking British citizenship.
The former spy fled Russia four years ago, claiming his life was in danger after he accused the Russian secret services of plotting to kill Mr Berezovsky. He lived in London in a house owned by Mr Berezovsky, the exiled oligarch, who recently called for a revolution to oust President Putin from the Kremlin.