22:41, 18 January 2007

Kremlin: murders of Politkovskaya and Litvinenko are connected

The Kremlin has linked together the murders of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and ex-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko. Igor Shuvalov, adviser of the president of the Russian Federation, has called the murder stories "a forethought provocation" against Russia.

"We perceive Politkovskaya's murder as a provocation. It's stupid to connect this murder with the leadership of the country. Polonium - Litvinenko - Politkovskaya - all this is interconnected. There are strong groupings, which have united to start a permanent attack on the course of the president and against him personally," Mr. Shuvalov stated at the Russian-German meeting, the RIA "Novosti" informs.

"All these murders are least beneficial for us. From the political point of view, they've brought nothing but damage, however, on the humanly terms, we feel sorry for the victims," Shuvalov added.

"Unfortunately, journalists die rather often; they perish in other countries too. But for some reasons nobody tries to accuse the government in each of these cases. Here (in Russia) whatever happens - it's all Putin," Mr. Schroeder has emphasized.