Condition of Poisoned FSB Defector Reportedly Again Seriously Worsened

The clinical condition of a poisoned FSB defector seriously worsened in a London hospital late Saturday, November 18, 2006, according to a report from a Moscow radio station citing Mr Litvinenko’s close associate and compatriot Goldfard from the US.

 

As reported earler by Mr Goldfarb, Mr Litvivenko’s condition already sharply and seriously worsened on November 15. The defector was purportedly dying, unable to speak and was delivered to a hospital resuscitation ward on Tuesday evening, November 14, 2006. Mr Litvinenko gave a rather lengthy interview for the Chechenpress news agency from the hospital on Wednesday morning, November 15, 2006.

 

Mr Goldfarb confirmed earlier Mr Litvinenko’s claims that the defector’s hospital ward was guarded around the clock by London police.

 

His family of a wife and two sons who were not delivered in the hospital with thallium poisoning, like Mr Litvinenko, are also guarded by police around the clock, Mr Goldfarb said Saturday, explaining no reason for the police interest and action. No attack on Russian defectors’ and “traitors’ ” family members who were not actively engaged in politics themselves were ever reported in the West.

 

Last week London police said in an interview with a Russian newspaper that they knew nothing about the case of the poisoned defector.

 

British press also seems to know nothing about Mr Livinenko’s claims until this Saturday night.

 

Among Western media, only two Austrian newspapers reported on the poisoning before late Saturday, November 18, 2006: Der Standard in a few lines citing the Chechenpress on November 12, and Wiener Zeitung in two paragraphs on November 14, also citing the Chechenpress.

 

Meanwhile, a Russian emigre human rights activist, Ms Volodimerova from Holland, called to Mr Litvinenko partners, companions, associates and aquaintances to prove the integrity of the defector. In an article published on the Chechenpress Web site on Friday, November 17, 2006, Ms Volodimerova offered to compile a list of all Mr Litvinenko’s moves during the last month.

 

Defector’s aquaintances are supposed to testify that they met or phoned with the defector on this or that day in order to demonstrate that it was phisically impossible for him to visit Russia and probably to be poisoned with thallium there.

 

Earlier, a Russian newspaper citing an unnamed FSB official said that Mr Litvinenko recently travelled to Moscow to give evidence to a Moscow persecutor’s office in regard to a recent murder of an American female journalist there.

 

Mr Livinenko vehemently denies the charges.

 

Mr Litvinenko is said to have been the head of a secret FSB death squadron before defecting to Britain in 2000. The American journalist is reported by some news agencies to be murdered by FSB staff killers