In Soviet Russia, Democracy Poisons You

Following the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the UK government asked for formal extradition of Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB agent who had met with Litvinenko the day he fell ill. The UK’s director of public prosecutions Ken Macdonald said Lugovoi should be extradited to stand trial for the murder of Litvinenko by “deliberate poisoning” after Polonium-210 was found in numerous places visited by Lugovoi that day. Russia denied the extradition request and negligible progress has been made on the case.

Four months since the May extradition demand from the UK, Andrei Lugovoi has resurfaced. At a congress for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), he announced his intentions to be an MP for the party, confirmed by LDPR party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky. If elected, Lugovoi will be granted immunity from prosecution from Litvinenko’s murder.