In a suspicious move, Russia has refused to release any suspects or witnesses for extradition to England over the radioactive Litvinenko murder case. The former spy was an outspoken critic of Putin before he was poisoned with element polonium-210. He died shortly thereafter in a London hospital. Before his death, Litvinenko blamed Putin for the poisoning.

Kremlin officials have denied any involvement and Russian officials have pledged their support to British police. However, Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika has said that no suspects will be extradited. “If they want to arrest them it would be impossible, they are citizens of Russia and the Russian constitution makes that impossible,” he said. Chaika further denied that the leak of the polonium-210 could have come from Russia.

Former KGB agent Mikhail Trepashkin, who is currently incarcerated for divulging state secrets, has been denied a meeting with the British detectives. Trepashkin�s lawyers say he has information relevant to the Litvinenko investigation that he wants to pass on to the Brits, but the Russian prison service won’t allow it. Trepashkin said in a letter last Friday that the FSB, the Russian state security service, created a hit squad to kill Litvinenko and other enemies of the Kremlin. His lawyers also claim that time is of the essence since their client is ill and could be in danger of dying from asthma soon.

It also remains unclear whether British detectives will be able to question Andrei Lugovoi, another former agent. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, warned Monday that persistent suggestions of Russian involvement in Litvinenko�s death could be harmful to diplomatic relations between London and Moscow. Lavrov also said he had spoken with Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett “about the necessity to avoid any kind of politicization of this matter, this tragedy”.

Valter Litvinenko, the dead spy�s father, said his son wished to be buried in a Muslim graveyard. Litvinenko will be buried Friday in a Muslim ceremony in or near London with the exact location being left up to police. “It will be quite a special funeral, you understand, the coffin will be closed,” he said. Some of Litvinenko�s family and Muslim friends will be present.

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