Russia to expel four British diplomats

Russia will expel four UK diplomats as the row over their refusal to extradite the man suspected of murdering Alexander Litvinenko.

The diplomats will have to leave Russia within ten days and visa applications for British officials are also set to be restricted.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that the government was "disappointed" that the Russians had not signified any new co-operation, adding that they regarded their decision to expel four staff as "completely unjustified."

Meanwhile Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Mikhail Kamynin said that the escalating row meant that co-operation between Russia and the UK on the war on terror was now "impossible."

On Monday, Britain expelled four Russian diplomats over Russia's refusal to extradite former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi to stand trial in the UK over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko last year.

Mr Litvinenko, who was a former KGB agent and a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a London hospital on November 23 last year after falling ill earlier that month. A large dose of radioactive substance polonium-210 was found in his body.

The substance was also later found in a series of locations around the capital.

Prosecutors in Britain wanted Andrei Lugovoi to stand trial in the UK for Mr Litvinenko's murder. He has denied any involvement in the murder.

However, under the European Convention on Extradition 1957, Russia has the right to refuse the extradition of a citizen.

While Russia has offered to put Lugovoi on trial, but the UK's director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, has already turned down the offer.

(KMcA)