Why is Alexander Litvinenko so important? People are killed off everday. Why was he so special to Britain?

Answer 1

There is more to this than meets the eye. As we are refusing to extradite people Russia wants. Yet they havent expelled any of our diplomats !! Something very fishy going on !! :)

Answer 2

Litvinenko was just a pawn like the rest of us, expendable. The big fuss is because of the manner of his death and the fact that it has put a lot of other people's lives at risk.

Litvinenko by the way was a British Citizen and I'd expect the UK.gov to kick up a stink if any UK Citizen was killed.

Maybe Litvinenko was an Mi6 agent or maybe just someone the UK.gov and SIS wanted to keep tabs on so as to capture someone else. Who knows.

The spy game is a dirty business. Stay well clear.

Answer 3

He is not special to Britain really. It is more the way in which he was killed that makes this case so unique. The radiation which killed him was spread all over London. Potentially alot of people could have been affected. If it were not being treated as an act of calculated murder then this in alot of ways could have resembled an act of terrorism. I believe that it is important this guy is brought to justice and that during the case, emphasis is placed on the anus way in which this murder was carried out and on the huge and reckless risk it placed on the people of London.

As for trying this guy in England, It is the write thing to do I believe but I don't think we should risk relations with Russia over it. I would rather see the government take a more diplomatic stance as apposed to the tit for tat tactics that are predicted.

I do not know why they are so apposed to presenting the case to the Russians in order that he can be tried over there. I suppose they think that the case would not get the kind of profile that our courts would give it and thus the outcome would probably not reflect the seriousness which our government (and most of us I would have thought) believes it carries.

Answer 4

The substance used to kill him was highly toxic,extremely expensive and obtainable only by officials,or the super rich.I read yesterday that the amount used to poison him could have cost in the region of a million dollars.I don't believe he was anything "special" to this country,all i know is that he was here under political asylum.

Answer 5

Aside from the dynamics between Britain and Russia, I don't think he is more important; the difference that you're noticing is that the investigation is attracting publicity (vs. other murders that are not as high profile.) I think the difference you're noticing is due to the fact that you're given more information about him, that's all.

Answer 6

well when non- british people commit crimes in the UK and then go outside of the country usually the suspect is extradited for trial regardless of how or who they killed or what country they are from. Russia is not prepared to extradite this person for a fair trial which is unusual, and thus a diplomatic stink has ensued. Oh dear.

Answer 7

It wasn't so much the person as the method. Polonium could easily have resulted in several other deaths, due to residual poisoning, and may still kill some by long term effects.

Answer 8

The use of Nuclear material by a foreign power to murder someone on British soil. I would hope that was important to everyone.

Answer 9

its not worth falling out with Russia over a guy who was mixed up with the slaughter of the kids some 2 years back//and why was he given asylum here?

Answer 10

I don't know if he was special to the British but I do think a lot of people were horrified by the way he was murdered.