Russians 'set up hit squad to kill London dissidents'

A secret assassination squad was set up to poison former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, it was claimed today.

The allegations are contained in two letters smuggled out of a Russian jail and passed to a close friend of Mr Litvinenko.

The letters were apparently written in jail by Mikhail Trepashkin, a former Russian intelligence officer. In one, Mr Litvinenko is warned that both he and his family are at risk. Mr Litvinenko's friend Alex Goldfarb said scans of the letters came into his possession yesterday and he passed them to Scotland Yard.

In 2004 Mr Trepashkin, who worked for the KGB's successor the FSB until 1997, was accused of being a British spy and passing secret information to Mr Litvinenko and his close friend tycoon Boris Berezovsky, both exiled in London. He is currently serving a four-year sentence.

In a message to Mr Litvinenko on 20 November, Mr Trepashkin recalls a conversation in August 2002 in which he warned Mr Litvinenko - already living in London - that he and his family were at risk from the FSB.

Mr Trepashkin tells his friend that he had met an FSB contact in Russia who told him that a "very serious group" had been set up, which "will knock out all those associated with Berezovsky and Litvinenko".

"My understanding then was that they were planning to take out your relatives quietly, without much fuss," he wrote.

Mr Goldfarb said the other letter, addressed to him and written on 25 November this year, detailed an offer to be a witness in the British investigation into Mr Litvinenko's death.

Following fresh poisoning claims involving former Russian prime minister Yegor Gaidar, the Foreign Office said today that it was not linking the two cases.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said today: "We have noted the reports of Yegor Gaidar's illness and wish him a speedy recovery. We know of no information which suggests any connection with the Litvinenko case and will continue to follow any developments closely."

Among those caught up in the radiation scare was Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell who, along with London 2012 Olympics organising committee chairman Lord Coe, flew to Barcelona last month on a BA jet checked for contamination.

"I'm feeling absolutely tiptop," she said today. "This was a scare that never was."

Hope this guy has his will written. Good job evening standard. I hope the editor knows he has blood on his hands.

You might want to take a look at this link, and scroll down to Berezovsky Has “Scanned” Letters On Litvinenko.

You will have to scroll down half way for this article. Note his comments:

Update: The letters referred to below were ’smuggled’ out of Russia.

And detectives are investigating letters smuggled out of Russia which purport to show the existence of a secret squad set up to target Mr Litvinenko and others. Scotland Yard has been passed copies of two letters apparently written in jail by former Russian spy Mikhail Trepashkin, one of which warns Mr Litvinenko that both he and his family are at risk.

Why smuggled? Why not passed through channels? And we know one letter was penned after Litvinenko got sick and the other after he died (I suspect they were both penned recently). So why smuggle what could be a simple attempt to get some publicity from a criminal? This smells too much like a stages act.

Update: Here is a good, sane, measured report on what is known and not known. It clearly shows the Ishu Sushi Bar being the first contamination site and explains how the Russians who met with Litvinenko were possibly secondary carriers after being contaminated by Litvinenko. - end update

The evidence pointing towards an assassination (and away from Berezovsky) is getting quite thin this morning, as scans of letters (aka, copies - not originals) of letters purported to have warned Litvinenko he was in trouble (duh! - he had arrest warrants out for him) are made available by - surprise! - Berezovsky’s spokesman Alex Goldfarb (the man of a million alibis):

Detectives are investigating letters smuggled out of Russia purporting to show the existence of a secret squad set up to target poisoned spy Alexander Litvinenko and others.

Scotland Yard has been passed copies of two letters apparently penned in jail by former Russian intelligence officer Mikhail Trepashkin, in one of which Mr Litvinenko is warned that both he and his family are at risk.

Mr Litvinenko’s London friend Alex Goldfarb said scans of the letters came into his possession on Thursday and he passed them to Scotland Yard.

Mr Trepashkin, who worked for the KGB’s successor the FSB until 1997, was tried in 2004, accused of being a British spy and passing secret information to Mr Litvinenko and his close friend the tycoon Boris Berezovsky, both exiled in London.

Wonder how much Berezovsky promised to Trepashkin to pen these letters since Litvinenko died? Scans of letters from a Berezosvky ally? And they just came into Berezovsky’s possession (Goldfarb works for Berezovsky and has been spokesman on this incident since Berezovsky brought in his PR firm to help manage communications)? Pullleeease! How very, very convenient. And no custody trail for the authorities to confirm. Berezovsky is getting nervous. In fact, these letters are incredibly convenient and timely since they reflect the same “rogue group” theory leaked to the media yesterday:

The letters include one to Mr Litvinenko which he never received, as well as one to his friend Mr Goldfarb. In the message to Mr Litvinenko on November 20, Mr Trepashkin recalls a conversation in August 2002 in which he warned Mr Litvinenko - already living in London - that he and his family were at risk from the FSB.

Mr Trepashkin tells his friend that he had met an FSB contact near a railway station in Russia who told him that a “very serious group” had been set up, which “will knock out all those associated with Berezovsky and Litvinenko”.

The letter says that Mr Trepashkin was urged to co-operate with the group and provide information on Mr Litvinenko and members of his family. Mr Goldfarb said the other letter, addressed to him and written on November 25, detailed an offer to be a witness in the British investigation.

The “Rogue Agents” theory come out yesterday in this same paper, and now Goldfarb announces to the media (and I suppose the police as well) these confirming letters he just received? Did I mention the PR firm Berezovsky brought into this matter before Litvinenko died?

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