A spokesman for the embassy, commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's earlier remarks that the U.K. was trying to politicize the case, stressed that for U.K. authorities it was purely a criminal matter, and said it had provoked health concerns for hundreds of Londoners.
"We have repeatedly said that the Litvinenko death is a criminal case of key importance," the British spokesman said. "Right now, we are expecting an official and constructive response to our request on the extradition of Mr. Lugovoi, to hand this case over to the relevant authority, an independent British court."
"There is some [negative] feeling because we can see attempts from the British side to use a criminal case, [which needs] a professional inquiry, for the sake of some political campaign," Lavrov said Friday.
Litvinenko died of radioactive poisoning November 23, 2006 in London shortly after he received a British passport and converted to Islam.
