The man Britain wants to charge for the murder of ex-spy, Alexander Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoy, has sued a Russian newspaper accusing it of damaging his reputation in an article that linked him to the killing.
Former KGB officer, Lugovoy, demanded 20 million roubles in damages from Kommersant, one of the Russian’s most respected newspaper, for a july 9 article which he said has damaged his reputation.
Britain wants to extradite Lugovoy from Russia to face trial in London for the murder of Litvinenko, who was poisened with radioctive polonium last year.
Lugovoy has repeatedly said he is innocent and is running for parliament in December elections on a nationalist ticket. Russian has refused to hand him ove, citting a constitutional bar on the extradiction of Russian citizens,
At a court hearing, Kommersant offered to publish a clarification and give Lugovoy the chance to offer his version of events in an interview with the paper.
Mosocow’s Tverskaya Court adjourned the hearing until November 6 for the parties to discuss the settlement, but Lugovoy appeared to dismiss Kommersant’s offer outside the court.
‘At first glance, the settlement proposal seems meaningless but i hope that reason, decency and truthfulness will prvail for representatives of Kommersant by November 6," Lugovoy told reporters after the hearing.
"we will insist on material compensation,"he said, adding that he would donate any damages awarded to charity.