A British judge on Thursday said he would hold an inquest into the deadly poisoning in 2006 of an officer who belonged to Russia’s Federal Security Service.
Alexander Litvinenko, a harsh critic of Russia who was granted asylum in Britain, died in a U.K. hospital in 2006 of poisoning three weeks after he was exposed to radioactive polonium. His wife believes that Russia had a part to play in his death.
Specifically, he died after ingesting polonium while drinking tea at a meeting with a Russian contact, The New York Times reported. However, even though he died six years ago, the case has been slow to move forward. The inquest will be held early next year.
“It has been almost six years since his death in November 2006. Such a delay is regrettable,” said Sir Robert Owen, the overseeing judge, according to The Times. “There will be no further delay.”
British police had earlier identified Andrei Lugovoi as a possible suspect in the death and was described as an “interested party,” but Russian authorities have refused to extradite him to the U.K., the Telegraph reported.
Litvinenko’s wife, Marina, said on Thursday: “I believe we will get justice in Britain. I’m not a politician, I’m a woman who lost her husband and I want to know what happened.”
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