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16Mar18

Russia presses charges over Yulia Skripal's attempted murder, businessman's death in UK

Russia's Investigative Committee has launched criminal cases over the attempted murder of Yulia Skripal, the daughter of ex-intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, and the death of Nikolai Glushkov, a close associate of late tycoon Boris Berezovsky, the Committee's Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

"The Russian Investigative Committee's Main Investigations Department has initiated a criminal case over the attempted murder of Russian citizen Yulia Skripal in the British city of Salisbury, under Articles 30.3.2 and 105.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (attempted murder committed in a manner posing an overall threat)," she said, adding that "another criminal case has been launched over the London death of Nikolai Glushkov."

"An investigation will be conducted in accordance with the Russian legislation and international law," Petrenko stressed. She also said that the Investigative Committee planned "to engage highly qualified experts" and was ready to cooperate with British law enforcement agencies.

Skripal case

Former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia suffered the effects of an unknown nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4. They are currently in the hospital in critical condition.

Skripal was earlier convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and exchanged for Russian intelligence officers.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the substance used in the attack had been a Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union. On March 14, she accused Russia of an "unlawful use of force" against the United Kingdom and announced that London would expel 23 Russian diplomats and take other restrictive measures.

Russia has rejected all accusations and vowed to respond to the UK's steps.

Glushkov's death

Glushkov was found dead in his London home on March 12. In the 1990s, he served as deputy managing director at Russia's flag carrier Aeroflot and worked for Berezovsky's LogoVAZ car company. In 2000, he was arrested in connection with the embezzlement of Aeroflot's funds, and later charged with fraud and money laundering. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years and three months behind bars but was released in the courtroom having served the term in custody. In recent years, Glushkov lived in the United Kingdom as he had been granted political asylum there in 2010. In March 2017, Moscow's Savelovsky District Court handed him a second eight-year sentence in absentia for the embezzlement of Aeroflot's funds.

[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 16Mar18]
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