Alexander Litvinenko

Alexander Litvinenko, born on December 4, 1962, was a British-naturalised Russian defector and a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). He gained notoriety for his outspoken criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his role in exposing organized crime within Russia. Litvinenko's defiance culminated in his public accusations against FSB superiors, alleging their involvement in the assassination of oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 1998.

After facing arrest in 1999 for exceeding his authority, Litvinenko was acquitted but was re-arrested before the charges were ultimately dismissed in 2000. Following these tumultuous events, he fled to London with his family, where he was granted asylum. In the UK, he transitioned into a role as a journalist and writer, producing significant works such as 'Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within' and 'Lubyanka Criminal Group,' which detailed his claims regarding the Russian secret services' orchestration of terrorist acts to elevate Putin's power.

Litvinenko's life took a tragic turn on November 1, 2006, when he fell gravely ill due to poisoning with polonium-210. He succumbed to the effects of the poison on November 23, leading to a high-profile investigation that identified Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun as primary suspects. The UK’s demand for extradition was denied by Russia, straining diplomatic relations between the two nations.

In the aftermath of his death, his wife, Marina, alongside biologist Alexander Goldfarb, spearheaded a campaign for justice through the Litvinenko Justice Foundation. Their efforts culminated in a public inquiry that began in January 2015 and concluded in January 2016, determining that Litvinenko's murder was likely sanctioned by the FSB and approved by Putin. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled in 2021 that Russia was responsible for his death, ordering the country to pay damages amounting to one hundred thousand euros.