Litvinenko murder suspect running for MP

September 16, 2007

, one of the main suspects in the murder case of Russian intelligence agent, is to run as a in the Russian elections on 2 December. If he is elected, Lugovoi will be immune from prosecution. This is worrying for the British government, who want to arrest Lugovoi.

Lugovoi is to be a candidate for the. The LDPR currently has 35 of the 446 in the, the lower house in the Russian parliament. The leader of the LDPR,, said, "I head the list (for the December 2 parliamentary elections), the fraction's leader will be third... Our second will be Andrei Lugovoi - he has suffered, been targeted by British special services."

Lugovoi is wanted by the British, as he is the main suspect in the Litvinenko case. A critic of Russian President, Litvinenko had taken refuge in Britain and was murdered after he was fed the radioactive substance. Lugovoi, a former KGB agent, met Litvinenko on November 1, 2006. The British want Lugovoi but the Russians refuse, denying Lugovoi has had anything to do with murdering Litvinenko.