Russia responsible for killing ex-KGB officer Litvinenko: ECHR

Top court says ‘assassination was imputable to Russia’, prompting immediate rebuke by Moscow.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Russia was responsible for the 2006 killing of ex-KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Tuesday’s ruling by the Strasbourg-based court supported the findings of a lengthy British inquiry that concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved a Russian intelligence operation to murder Litvinenko.

The ECHR’s ruling said his “assassination was imputable to Russia” as it responded to a complaint brought by Litvinenko’s widow.